Chaos Element: Book One
by Ranwolf
Summary: A new portion of the Dead Sea Scroll is found and shows not everything is preordain and a little chaos is all that stands between salvation and destruction. Chapter 7 added.
1. Brand New Day

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 1: Brand New Day

By Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Thanks to Latsin for doing the beta for this fic.

Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki entered his Superior's office. The vast room was dark, as usual, lit only by the painted Tree of Life that glowed eerily from the ceiling. Ikari was at his desk, reading a report from the computer monitor embedded in his desk. When Fuyutsuki reach the desk, Ikari looked up from the report.

"Have the Mazas left yet?" He asked folding his hands in front of his face.

"Hai," Fuyutsuki answered. "The Magi computers confirmed the same strange energy readings as when they first arrived." Ikari nodded. "Ikari, we have a problem."

The Commander looked to his chief aide. "What is it?"

"Dr. Daniel Jackson, Head of Archeology stationed in Jordan, has found another, more complete, copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls."

"How is that bad news?"

"While translating the new portions, he realized that our translation of the prophesy is in error. He sent us a copy and his notes." Fuyutsuki handed Ikari the file in his hand. Ikari took it and began reading the report. Fuyutsuki saw Ikari's expression change from curious to angry to worry in the span of only a few pages. Fuyutsuki had read the report before coming to Ikari. The implications of the new prophesy were nearly soul-crushing. The translation regarding the number of Angels had changed. From "A score less three messengers shall search for Adam." to "A score and three." If Dr. Jackson was correct, NERV now had to contend with twenty-three Angels. So far, only seven had appeared.

"What is this about a Chaos Element?" Ikari asked, bringing Fuyutsuki out of his thoughts.

"Hmm, I found that odd myself when I read the report." He reached up and scratched his chin, bringing what he remembered into focus. "If I understand correctly, this "Element" is to help the new messiah in his task."

"Born from the blood of a divine demon and a daughter of man." Ikari's eyes suddenly widen after reading the passage. "Masaka! (Impossible!)," he said in disbelief. He reread Dr. Jackson's report, and then looked at the report on his monitor. What were the chances he would have both of these at the same time? A germ of an idea began to form in his mind. "Has Dr. Jackson sent this report to the Seele Council?"

Fuyutsuki thought for a moment, wondering what Ikari was getting at. "Ie, I don't believe so. Why?"

"Good. I need to speak to Jackson before he does. And off the record as well."

Fuyutsuki nodded. He saw Ikari reaching for his phone. As the Sub-commander left the large room to make the arrangements to communicate with the archaeologist, he could have sworn he heard the Commander say, "Mysterious ways, indeed."

Two Years Later

The three children of NERV were walking down one of the many corridors of the Geo-front heading to the locker rooms after a long day of training. They had made plans with friends to go to a festival that was being held in one of the many parks throughout the city.

Since they became Eva Pilots there had been twelve angels to attack their city. There have been death and destruction, yet Tokyo-3 still thrived with industry and families. There was always construction happening around the city, from large factories to multi-story residential buildings. Tokyo-3 was actually larger and more densely populated than it was at the height of the Angel attacks.

"Which park are we suppose to meet Toji and the others again?" Shinji asked.

"Anta baka? (Are you stupid?)," Asuka asked with little heat in her tone. "Some friend you are. You make plans with friends and don't even know where to meet them." She grinned, showing she was only teasing.

"Sawada park, Ikari-kun," Rei answered softly. "The northeast entrance."

"Arigato Ayanami," Shinji replied. He grinned at the sour face Asuka made at Rei for spoiling the teasing of her boyfriend.

"Why do you always have to spoil my fun, Rei?" the redhead asked.

"It is how I have fun, Souryu," Rei replied, a ghost of a smile fluttered over her feature.

Asuka answered with a wet raspberry at her friend.

Shinji shook his head slightly. No matter how long he lived, he would always be amazed at how much the two girls in his life have changed since he first met them. When they were younger the girls didn't get along very well. Actually, Asuka didn't get along with many people her own age and Rei cared little about what others thought of her. Now they were friends, perhaps not the best of friends, but they got along. One of Shinji's friends, Kensuke, referred to them as "Fox-hole buddies".

Asuka was possibly one of the most opinionated, bossy, overbearing and egotistical woman he had ever met. Frankly, she was a pain. Even though she still had those traits, she seemed to have gained better control over the more negative aspects of her personality, allowing the caring, loving young woman he loved to emerge.

Rei was Asuka's polar opposite. She was quiet and introverted, and she rarely showed any sign of how she felt. There were many who thought she was cold-hearted and didn't care for anything or anyone. Honestly, it wasn't something she had control over. Even though Shinji's father was Rei's legal guardian he did little to raise her properly, practically forcing the girl to raise herself, isolated from those around her. Because of this, she never properly learned to portray her emotions. Thankfully, interacting with Shinji, Asuka, Misato, Rei greatly improved. In the two years Shinji had known her, Rei had virtually blossomed emotionally. Though only those who had known Rei for a long time learned to read the subtle expressions on her angelic face.

The girls weren't the only ones to change and grow as a person. Shinji had changed as well, for the better if anyone asked someone who knew him well. From a shy, frightened boy with a serious inferiority complex who feared letting people get too close, he became a young man with confidence in his ability. According to Asuka, he grew a backbone.

They had passed the main doors to the Eva docking cages, when Rei stopped suddenly. A perplexed expression was on her face.

"Ayanami?," Shinji asked. "Doushita no? (What's wrong?)"

Rei shook her head slightly. "I do not know," she answered. "An odd feeling. As if something is coming."

"Uh-huh. And what would that be, Wondergirl?" said Asuka, an impatient look on her face.

Suddenly, a *whump!* echoed through the corridor, as an explosion of some kind rocked the hallway. The force of the explosion disrupted power to the area, plunging it into darkness. Klaxons blared as the emergency lights ignited, bathing the trio in harsh red light.

"Asuka! Ayanami! Are you two alright?," Shinji asked.

"I am fine," Rei answered, looking around.

"I'm o.k.," Asuka answered at the same time. "Where'd it come from?," she asked.

Shinji shrugged. "I'm not sure. But it sounded close."

"The explosion came from the docking cages," Rei said. She turned toward the doors, staring unblinkingly, almost as if through them. She began to head in that direction.

Asuka grabbed the other girl's arm. "You're not seriously thinking of going in there are you?" Rei didn't answer her. Her unwavering gaze fell upon Asuka. The look Rei gave her had always given Asuka the creeps. It was as if Rei didn't care about her own well-being.

"Someone may be injured inside," Rei replied coolly. She gently removed Asuka's hand from her upper arm and proceeded to activate the manual override to the door. Asuka and Shinji looked at each other for a moment before they went to the door, helping Rei pry the steel doors slowly open.

As the doors inched their way open, the smell of burned metal, ammonia and ozone rushed them, filling their noses and causing their eyes to tear. They could hear a low steady thrumming coming from the distance.

Asuka listened carefully as they wrestled the doors open for any injured, hoping there would be none. A damage control team arrived moments later, followed by Misato and Dr. Akagi. The trio stepped aside, letting those trained to handle emergencies to do their jobs, but sticking around to help if the need arose. The team finally forced the doors opened.

What they saw inside shocked them all to the core. In all the years the pilots were a part of NERV, despite seeing and fighting Angels of varying shapes and sizes, the vision before them would easily top the list of strange happenings. Asuka knew immediately what it was, she and the others were seeing, even though she had never seen one before herself. She knew of it only through her studies in Germany.

A Einstein-Rosen Bridge. A theoretical rip in the space/time continuum, believed to be able to connect two points that were great distances apart. If Asuka remembered correctly, her astrophysics professor said there were also theories that such a vortex could connect one reality to another. It looked like a whirlpool made of blue and purple fluid tilted onto its side. Mist of the same colors emanated from the event horizon, the absolute edge of the phenomenon.

"What is it?," Misato asked.

"Something is wrong," Rei said quietly. No one seemed to have heard her.

"It's a Wormhole," Asuka answered. "We need to get to the Evas. It might be an Angel attack."

At that moment, an unearthly wail came from the vortex. A brilliant flash blossomed from the center of the whirlpool, temporarily blinding everyone, and then disappeared.

Asuka blinked her eyes clear. She half expected some monstrosity from her darkest nightmare to tower over her, ready to wreak havoc on the base. Instead, a single figure stood a distant away on the docking bridge, the mist from the vortex clung to him, obscuring her view. After a few seconds the colored fog dispersed. She saw a tall figure in the distance with short, black hair. His clothing was torn and tattered, as if he had been in a car wreck. An odd brown cloak hung half off his shoulders. Blood flowed down the side of his face from a cut above his hairline, and his right arm drooped loosely from his side.

"Where...?" The unknown person said quietly in English. He took two unsteady steps forward, his eyes suddenly rolled up into his skull and he fell forward. A loud, wet *thud* echoed within the massive room as his head hit the metal floor.

Misato and Ritsuko stared at each other for a few moments. They nodded to each before they took a tentative step towards the fallen figure. Misato drew her automatic from its holster under her jacket, aiming it at the unconscious intruder. Everyone else was ordered to stay back.

Misato approached slowly, weapon aimed towards the head. When she got within five meters, she got a clear view of the figures face. A twinge of familiarity formed in her mind. 'Where have I seen him before?' she thought before the answer came to her. "Nic?"

She saw the look of recognition on Ritsuko's face. She quickly holstered her weapon and ran the rest of the way to the man on the floor.

The doctor turned to the team at the door. "Get a medical team down here. Now!" She focused her attention on the gargoyle. "How the hell did Maza get here?"

Misato helped Ritsuko turn him over onto his back. Getting a better look she realized it wasn't Nic. He was too young, couldn't be any older than sixteen. And what she had thought was a cape of some kind was actually a pair of large leathery wings protruding from his back. She looked up and saw the same realization on her friends face. "Do you think...?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Ritsuko replied. She checked the young man's pulse. "Thready. Whatever that thing was, it gave him a hell of a beating. Rei, get me a first aid kit from one of the entry plugs. Someone find out what's taking the med team so damn long!"

Moments later, Rei returned with a large first aid kit. She set the kit down and began assisting Ritsuko, handing the doctor, with uncanny perception, what she would need without being told.

The med team finally arrived. At first they faltered, not expecting to find a person with wings and a tail to be the patient, but a few choice threats from Misato brought them around. They quickly stabilized the injured gargoyle and placed him on a gurney, wheeling him towards the infirmary as fast as they could, partially out of fear of Misato.

One Week Later

Misato walked silently besides Rei as they headed to the secure room where the gargoyle was being held, while he recuperated from his "voyage". She was perplexed by the gargoyle. More specifically, how did he arrive in Tokyo-3?

They stopped in front of the door flanked by two large, imposing guards. They saluted the Major, who returned the salute. The soldier on the right turned and punched a five-digit code into a keypad next to the door. "Has he started talking yet, or is he still giving everyone the cold shoulder?" Misato asked the soldier on the left.

"He's still keeping quiet, Major," Sgt. Gado replied. "He's cooperating with the doctors, but he won't reply to any of their questions. Just glares at them."

Misato nodded. "Yeah well, I'm sort of hoping bringing someone his own age might help bring him around." She gave Rei a hopeful smile, who returned it with a faint one of her own.

Rei had been wondering why the Major had asked her to accompany her to this... she wasn't sure if interrogation was the right word.

She heard the faint hum of the magnetic seal of the door die, unlocking. Sgt. Gado turned the handle of the door, opening it into the room; Gado closed the door behind him as he entered the room with Misato and Rei as a safety precaution.

That was another thing Rei found curious about the whole situation. There was little doubt as to who the gargoyle was; D.N.A. testing confirmed he was Nicodemus' and Miyabe's son. So, why all the security for a single, injured individual?

The room was typical for the infirmary wing, a pale blue-green color and rows of fluorescent lighting suspended along the ceiling. Up against the far wall a single bed with a night table and chair on either side. The gargoyle wasn't there. She looked to her right after hearing an annoyed sigh. The gargoyle was sitting on the long windowsill, one leg dangled loosely over the edge, his long flexible tail wrapped around his calf.

Rei noted his color had improved since she first saw him. His arm was in a sling; apparently his shoulder had become dislocated at some point.

Their eyes made contact, for a brief moment her heart increase in tempo. She saw that his eyes were a deep green color much like his mother's and his ears seemed to be a bit longer than his father's if she remembered correctly. Except for the wings and the shape of his eyes, exactly like Miyabe's, he was the spitting image of Nicodemus.

He broke eye contact and focused on the woman besides her.

"I'm Major Katsuragi Misato, and this is Ayanami Rei. We knew your parents," Misato said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. "How are you doing this morning? Feeling any better? Is there anything you need?" The gargoyle looked at Misato for a few moments, glancing periodically in Rei's direction. He didn't answer. "Listen," Misato continued, "we're not going to hurt you. We just want to help." Still no answer. Misato kept trying to reassure the gargoyle they meant him no harm.

Watching him, Rei had the sudden impression he was studying them, trying to ascertain if they could be trusted.

"Look," Misato began; obviously frustrated by all of the non-answers she was receiving. "Can't you at least tell us your name?" No answer. Misato let out a low curse. Rei found it mildly amusing to see Misato's jaw visibly tighten as she crossed her arm, her fingers drumming lightly on her bicep in annoyance.

"Maza-kun," Rei said softly, assuming he used his father's surname instead of his mother's, "Onamae wa nandeska?" He turned his eyes on her. Again their eyes made contact, and for a moment, it felt as if she was the only person in the room with the gargoyle. She felt suddenly awkward speaking to him. She knew if she spoke again she would probably stumble over her words. Thankfully, she did not have to continue.

"Kenshiro," he answered. He hopped off from his perch, paused for a moment as if deciding something, then bowed slightly to them. "My parents told me a lot about you Major Katsuragi." He turned to Rei again. "Rei, right?"

She nodded; fighting down a blush she felt was trying to form. "Hai," she replied softly.

"I'm assuming you're going to finally start cooperating with us, Kenshiro-kun?" Misato asked, a knowing smile on her face. "We really just want to help you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. You can't really blame me for not answering any questions. I mean one second I'm home, the next thing I know, I'm in a hospital bed and everyone's talking Japanese." He paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "For some reason my memory is kinda fuzzy. I thought I was drugged or something, that's why I wasn't answering any questions."

"Souka. Understandable, I guess," The Major replied. "Do you have any idea how you got here? What caused that... Einstein thing?"

Kenshiro blinked in confusion "Einstein thing?"

"Einstein-Rosen Bridge." Rei answered. "The vortex that brought you here."

Kenshiro nodded in understanding and thought for a moment, as if sorting out his memories. A look of confusion slowly formed over his features. "I... I'm not sure. I don't remember. I think it...," He looked to Misato; panic began to take over his features. "I don't know!"

"It is alright Maza-kun," Rei said, trying to sound comforting but not quite succeeding. "We will help you if we can." The panic in his face lifted, but worry remained.

"She's right Kenshiro-kun. NERV will do whatever it can to help you." Misato placed a comforting hand on the young gargoyles shoulder. After a moment, he let out a relaxed sigh this time.

He seemed to accept his situation swiftly. He didn't have much of a choice really. Rei assumed, going by the older gargoyle's description of his world, he had learned to accept the unusual quickly. With all the examples of magic that existed in his world, it probably helped to keep his sanity intact. Those who worked for NERV learned the same skill rather quickly.

It was with this acceptance, Shiro ("Grandpa's the only one who called me Kenshiro.") decided he would help NERV in any way he could, while they tried to figure out how to return the young man home.

Fuyutsuki stared out into the conference room filled with reporters. He and his team had gone over their presentation a number of times, trying to anticipate every foreseeable outcome. Deep down, he knew that was impossible, all it took was human nature to assert itself, and an unpredicted question from a reporter could ruin all they had worked to keep secret. Ikari was against this at first, but logic and basic consideration for their "guest" was all it took to convince Gendo this was the best course of action.

The reporters were abuzz the moment Fuyutsuki, flanked by Dr. Akagi and another scientist entered the large room. Light bulbs and more than a dozen reporters from several television stations and newspapers yammered questions all at once.

"Sub-commander Fuyutsuki, can you..."

"Fuyutsuki-san, is it true..."

"What is NERV doing about the..."

The three NERV officials ignored the questions launched at them. The scientists calmly took seats placed on the raised platform on either side of the podium. Fuyutsuki waited a few moments as he adjusted the position of the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, making a sitting motion to the crowd. Eventually, they stopped their volleys and settled down. "Arigato. First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming today. I'm sure there has been much speculation on the nature of this press conference. Before we continue, I'd like to introduce Dr. Akagi Ritsuko, Head of Project E and Dr. Josef Sevarius, NERV's leading researcher in Genetics and Xeno-biology.

"Xeno-biology?" a reporter from Osaka asked. "Nanda?"

"Dr. Sevarius?" Fuyutsuki redirected the question to the balding, middle-aged man sitting on his left. Sevarius rose to his feet, taking Fuyutsuki's place at the podium.

The man coughed to clear his throat. In a pronounced German accent he spoke into the microphone. "Xeno-biology is the theoretical study of life from beyond this planet. In other words, alien life."

"Do you mean the Angels, Doctor?" another reported asked.

"That's part of it," he answered. There was a murmur from the reporters. "Until recently the thought of extraterrestrial life was nothing more than a mental exercise. The coming of the Angels proved that to be true." He paused for a moment to let that sink in. "That, I'm afraid, was how the general population discovered other-worldly life. However, twenty years ago, the American government found out differently."

"Are you saying the Angels came to Earth before?" The other reporters seemed to take this as a cue to erupt into a frenzy of questions.

"Ladies and gentleman!" Fuyutsuki shouted getting up from his seat. "All of your questions will be answered after Dr. Sevarius' presentation." Things were starting to get out of hand. He could see some of the reporters were getting agitated from others screaming questions over them. Fuyutsuki finally regained some semblance of order after threatening to cancel the remainder of the press conference.

When the crowd of journalists was sufficiently calm Sevarius continued. "As far as NERV can tell," he coughed to clear his throat again. "The Angels that have been attacking mankind have never been on this planet before. However, approximately twenty years ago a craft of interstellar origin landed in the eastern most part of Washington State in America." Sevarius could tell the reporters wanted to burst into questions again, but each managed to suppress their urges and waited for him to finish. While Dr. Sevarius continued his speech on how the government established contact with the occupants of the craft, half a dozen video monitors, set up around the large room, came to life.

"The individuals you see on the monitors are the occupants of the craft." The images of eleven humanoid figures appeared. There were six males and five females. They were of various shades of blues, reds and lavender. One of the males appeared elderly, with iron-gray hair and a yellowish cataract obscuring his left eye. Most of them were quite tall, except for one male and all but one of the females. They all had long tails that reached the floor. Each but one had a set of large bat-like wings.

Sevarius barely manage to hold back a chuckle of amusement at the awed faces of the reporters. The images were admittedly quite impressive, created by the best programmers NERV had. It took them less than two months to create the footage using only written descriptions and file footage of Nic Maza and Miyabe Tendo. How they managed such a feat, he had no clue.

"Though their language is nearly impossible for humans to articulate, they managed to learn the English language quite easily." The footage showed one of the males, the only one who didn't have wings, speaking into the camera as an unseen speaker asked him questions. "This male, given the code-name 'Nicodemus', was the first among them to master a human language. When asked what his species was called, he told the interviewer there was no actual translation. But the closest human word was 'Gargoyle'."

Sevarius continued with the cover story, spinning a web of falsehood like a master story teller. He told the reporters, the planet the Gargoyles were from, Wyvern, had been attacked by the Angel. As far as this group knew, they were the only survivors.

"This brings us to the second reason for this press conference." Sevarius' speech was winding down. He knew he had their complete undivided attention. "As with all species, sentient or otherwise, there is a call to propagate. To be "fruitful" as it were. As a result, three children were born about sixteen years ago. Of the three, only one was found to have the right genetic and psychological make-up for NERV's needs." Sevarius paused as interns went around the room passing out copies of a document, which the reporters scrambled to snatch up. There were murmurs as the audience read the report.

"To elaborate on the report, my colleague, Dr. Akagi Ritsuko will explain. Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko rose from her seat, taking Dr. Sevarius' place at the podium. "Handed out to you is a report from the Marduk Group. In case you didn't know, the Marduk Group is a research team made up of skilled geneticists and psychologists created to find those individuals who are capable of piloting the Evangelion Units.

Two months ago the Commanding Officer of the base where the Gargoyles reside, requested the young gargoyles be tested. Of the three, the one named Shiro was found to have the desirable characteristics to be a pilot. Last week he was officially recognized as the Forth Child." Ritsuko looked to the side door and nodded. A NERV security officer opened the door and ushered Shiro in.

The young Gargoyle was tall, standing almost equal to his security escorts. He had straight black hair that covered his forehead. His ears were long and tapered reminding a number of the journalists of a Vulcan. Dark Green, almond-shaped eyes complemented a pleasant looking face that seemed agitated by all the attention he was getting. He looked as if he wanted to be very far away at the moment. His wings were folded around his shoulders, giving the impression of a leather cape.

Cameras flashed and reporters screamed questions that were unintelligible due to the noise of dozens of reporters yelling at once. Shiro flinched and blinked repeatedly at the flash bulbs exploding before him. He made his way to the dais, flanked by two guards.

Ritsuko placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Just relax, Shiro-kun," she said just loud enough only he could hear her. "Just stick to the cover story and you'll be fine. It'll only be for a few minutes. Just answer a few questions and then we'll take you back to the Geo-front."

Shiro looked between Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki. The Sub-Commanded gave him a noticeable smile and a nod of confidence. Shiro took a deep breath, held it for a moment then released it. "I'll do my best, Doc."

"That's all we ask," Ritsuko replied, before taking a seat beside her superior.

He turned to the reporters. Staring at them as they stared at him, he collected his thoughts. I'd rather fight a squad of Quarrymen right now. "He-Hello. My name is Kenshiro Maza..." He turned his head to see if Akagi and Fuyutsuki didn't abandon him. He was relieved to see they were still there. He again faced the reporters. "I was asked to help NERV protect Earth from the Angels."

There was a brief rumble from the reporters. One of them, a young man that looked like he was barely out of college rose to his feet. "Maza-kun, why... why do you want to do that? I mean no disrespect but you're not human."

Shiro flinched internally. He spent a good portion of his life being feared by humans that didn't know him back home. They just saw his wings and tail and usually ran. But now he was being asked, essentially, why he should be trusted. He wanted to leave the room. He wanted to be home. He wanted to be back with his family, his clan.

The thought of his clan reminded him of something. When he was small he had asked Brooklyn why they patrolled the city, when a good portion of the people was afraid of them. Brooklyn smiled down at him and answered.

Shiro smiled lightly at the memory. He looked at the reporter. "Simple," he said. "An uncle told me something that always stayed with me.'A Gargoyle protects the castle and everyone in it'. I was born on Earth, this is my home. And as the saying goes: A man's home is his castle."

Asuka, Hikari and Rei were seated together in their class during the lunch period. Asuka was standing while Hikari and Rei were seated on either side of Rei's desk. On the desk was a large manila folder that Asuka had just dropped.

"What's this?" Hikari asked looking to Asuka.

"Just some pictures of the gargoyle that's going to be coming to class tomorrow," she answered. "I figured I can make a little extra spending money selling these to the girls in school."

Hikari looked at Asuka with a dumbfounded expression. "You can't be serious, Asuka."

The redhead smirked at her best friend. "Listen Hikari, if those idiots could make money selling pictures of any cute girl, why can't I do the same thing with the guys?"

"But... He isn't human."

"You just haven't seen the pictures," Asuka responded poking the folder with her finger. She opened the folder and handed Hikari half of the pictures. Asuka chuckled seeing the wide-eyed look on Hikari's face. The pictures were that of Shiro at various places within the Geo-front. Some were of him speaking to NERV personnel or of him in the gymnasium. Asuka guessed those would be fairly popular. There were even a few of him gliding within the Geo-front.

"I had to use a computer to blow up those pictures of Maza flying," Asuka said, answering the unasked question. "That's why they're a little blurry."

"Won't he get mad if he finds out about this?" Hikari asked, flipping through the photos. She saw one photo showing Shiro landing from a flight in what looked like a field that she thought looked kind of cool.

"I'm doing him a favor."

"Eh?"

"He's shy around a lot of people," Asuka explained.

"I do not see how this will help with his shyness, Souryu," said Rei, speaking for the first time.

Asuka made an annoyed face at the First Child. "It's simple. Even you can't deny he's cute. Ne, Hikari?

"I... I guess," she answered, blushing just a bit.

"I figured, if the sooner he sees people aren't freaked out by him, the better." Asuka smiled. "And I'll make a little money for my effort."

"That was the reason for the press conference last week." Rei picked up the photos Hikari had put down and began sorting them.

"That can only do so much, Ayanami," Asuka replied. "A press conference is fine for someone on the other side of the country who'll probably never meet him. But, what about the students in school? We'll be seeing him almost every day."

Rei looked at Asuka, and then nodded. "That makes sense." She accepted the logic, and continued her sorting. Rei paused on one photo of Shiro and Shinji. From the looks of things, Rei guessed Shinji had said something humorous, because Shiro was laughing openly.

Asuka noticed the pale girl was looking intently at a photo of Shiro and Shinji talking. Almost as if she was trying to guess at the conversation. Could it be Rei held some sort of interest?

Nah! Asuka thought to herself. Not Wonder-girl

As Hikari looked over the remainder of the pictures, Asuka had a monologue going, explaining how she was able to take the photos without Shiro noticing.

The Class Rep suddenly gasped when she reached the last few pictures. They were of Shiro in a locker room and he appeared to be putting on a dark green and black plug suit. The photo seemed to have been taken when the suit was just over his hips.

"Asuka How did you...?" Hikari put the remaining photos face down on the desk. She quickly looked around to see if anyone was nearby. She let out a small sigh of relief when she saw no one else in the classroom. She didn't want to risk some kind of strange rumor begin about the three of them.

Rei reached over and looked at the photos. She blushed lightly before placing them in the folder.

"I snuck into the boy's side of the locker room just after Shiro went in to try on his plug suit for the first time." Asuka had a slight grin on her face as she spoke. She began fanning herself with her hand as if the air-conditioned room suddenly became warmer. "It looks like I got there a little late."

Hikari blushed again. "You are so bad, Asuka."

A silver Toyota pulled up in front of the school gates. The passenger of the small car stared out the window. Not at the multi-story building he would be staying in for the next few hours, but at the dozens of students milling around, waiting until the last possible moment before having to enter the school. Shiro was suddenly having second thoughts about attending. He had been told NERV would provide tutors for him if he decided not to go to school, but insisted he should attend, telling him being hole up in an underground military complex all the time could not be good for his mental health.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts, Shiro-kun." The driver, Maya Ibuki, said to him.

He turned back to the Lieutenant before answering. "I'm... I guess I'm still nervous, Maya." He gave her an embarrassed smile. "I've never gone to school before. I'm not exactly sure what to do."

Maya smiled at him. "You'll be fine. Just be yourself. I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends." She patted his upper arm. "Besides you're not going to be alone. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei will be there to help you out. So don't worry about it."

Shiro smiled shyly suddenly at the mention of the First Child. Rei was the first of the pilots he had met. Memories of a particular conversation came to him. He wished he could show how he felt for her without things blowing up in his face. As much as it seemed the people of this world accepted him, he wasn't sure how much they would accept.

The sound of a school bell brought him out of his thoughts. He looked to Maya again before speaking. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Of course," she replied, gently pushing the larger teenager out of her car. "I'm your guardian after all. Someone's got to look out for you. Now get going before you're late on your first day."

"Hai, Onee-san," he mocked the brunette, as he opened the door of the car and exited. He chuckled hearing a raspberry come from the driver's side.

He suddenly felt multiple sets of eyes on him. He looked towards the school and saw that a good portion of the student body was still in the courtyard, watching him. His keen hearing picked up scraps of conversations.

"That's him..."

"...Sugoi..."

"He's bigger than I thought..."

"...Freak..."

He tried to ignore the few insults, knowing they would happen no matter what NERV did to assuage any fears.

"Shiro-kun!," Maya called him. He turned around to see her standing beside her car holding up her cell phone towards him. "Say Cheese! It's your first day of school, cheer up." He couldn't help but smile as Maya snapped a picture of him standing at the gate of the school.

He waved good-bye to Maya as she drove off back to the Geo-front. He turned back to the school, and was surprised to see the Eva pilots standing by the main entrance waiting for him. His smile grew wider when he saw Rei motioning him to hurry.

"C'mon, Bat-boy," Asuka yelled. "I'm not going to be late because of you!"

"Alright, Red, I'm coming."

End

Request for help: If anyone out there is willing to beta this story for me please e-mail me and I'll send whatever chapters I have written so far. Thanks in advance.


	2. School Day

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 2: School Days

By Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Thanks to Latsin for doing the beta for the fic.

The lunch hour had finally arrived, to Toji's relief. He was hungry. He looked around and noticed the new guy, the gargoyle, sitting at his desk. He also noticed that a vast majority of the class was giving him a wide berth. Maza seemed unsure what to do. Wither to sit there and hope someone would approach him, or if he should go to one of them and try to strike up a conversation. From the looks of virtual terror he saw on his classmate's faces he doubted either option was going to happen anytime soon. Yes, he was kind of intimidating looking with the wings and tail. Being the tallest person in the school, including teachers, probably didn't help matters.

Don't these dumb-asses watch the news? he asked himself. Maza seemed like a nice enough guy during that press conference. He even got a laugh from the reporters from a wisecrack he made about all the security he had around him. Besides, Shinji vouched for him so that was all he really needed. Toji let out an annoyed sigh. "Looks like it's up to me." He got up from his desk and walked over the gargoyle. Remembering Maza grew up in America, Toji stuck out his hand to Shiro. "Toji des," he said as politely as he could manage.

Maza stared at him for a moment in surprise. Soon, a smile formed on his face. He got up from his seat and reached out, taking Toji by the forearm instead of the hand. "Kenshiro," The gargoyle replied, a look of relief on his face. "Shiro, for short. It's nice to meet you, Toji."

"Same here. Listen, don't let these guys get you down," he said, referring to the other students, some of whom he got the feeling were already stirring up rumors somehow. "They're like this with all the new people. It happened to me and Shinji. Probably to Ayanami, too. Not sure about Souryu though, she seemed to get popular real quick."

"You know Shinji, Rei and Asuka?"

"Yeah, I'm friends with 'em. Known Shinji for a couple of years."

Just then, the door to their classroom opened and Asuka and Shinji entered. Toji noticed Ayanami in the hallway as well.

"Oh, great." Asuka said. "Toji got to him first."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toji said angrily, a vein in his temple visibly swollen. "You tryin' to start somethin', already?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to keep Maza's brain-stem from withering to nothing. I can practically see his I.Q. dropping just from standing next to you."

"Hey!" "Oi!" Gargoyle and Human teens said in unison.

The redhead simply smirked at them. She decided not to continue further. Toji was too easy to taunt, and she wasn't here to make fun of Shiro on his first day. She was determined to help Shiro out. It was the least she could do to repay the dept she had with his father for saving her life from those crazy cultists. Making fun of Shiro could wait until later.

Shinji sighed. "Gomen, Shiro-kun. We came to invite you to eat lunch with us."

Shiro grinned. "Great, I was getting hungry and I have no idea where the cafeteria is."

He followed the others out of the room stopping in front of Rei. Toji noticed a brief look they gave each other but decided to bite his tongue. He doubted anything was going on, if there was, it wasn't any of his business. He had known Ayanami for a few years… correction he had known of her existence for a few years. It wasn't until sometime after Shinji and Asuka arrived in Tokyo-03 that they even said a word to each other. The fact she seemed to be showing any kind of interest in someone was actually a marked improvement.

"You two comin'?" he asked. It was all he could do to keep from laughing from their reaction.

/^O^\

The group managed to find a large enough table to accommodate the group. They were soon joined by two others, Hikari Horaki and Kensuke Aida. Hikari, a short girl with freckles and wore her hair in pig-tails seemed to flush whenever she looked at Shiro. He had noticed, but said nothing of it, figuring it was nervousness from being around him. Kensuke, was another story altogether.

The young man had light brown hair and wore glasses. He also had his face virtually glued to a camcorder Shiro was told he carried with him all the time.

"You know there's a whole bunch of conspiracy theories about you online, Maza-kun." Kensuke was walking around filming everyone, but his focus was on the gargoyle at the moment.

"Yeah? Like what?" Shiro asked as he struggled to control his chopstick. He let out an aggravated snarl when his ramen plopped back into the plastic bowl for the third time. "How can anyone eat with these? Where are the forks?"

Rei gave him a sympathetic smile and helped him, placing his fingers in the proper position. After a few tentative attempts he finally got a grip on a decent amount of noodles. "Thanks Rei."

"It was nothing," she replied.

"Well," Kensuke began, "My personal favorite is that you're a prototype super-soldier, genetically engineered to take over piloting the Evas so 'real' humans won't be put in danger of fighting the angels."

"And you believe that shit?" Toji asked him. He winced at the glare Hikari gave him. Apparently, she had spent years trying to curb his language while at school with only a modicum of success.

"Like I said, it's just a theory." He finally put down his camera and placed it in a small bag he carried around his shoulder. He sat down and opened his container of ramen and began to eat.

"Nice being compared to Captain America." Shiro said, half joking. He wasn't surprised to see Asuka was the only one to get it. "Comic book character from the States," he explained.

The group of friends continued their conversation, straying from one topic to another. There were times Shiro had little to no idea what any of them were talking about. At times he was fortunate enough to have his mouth full when asked his opinion on something, but he was getting dangerously low on noodles.

Unfortunately, that was when fate decided to grant him the first of two favors.

"Hey freak!" Someone called out. "Go back home."

There was a near universal gasp from everyone remaining in the lunch area. All eyes suddenly turned on him. He could feel them. He knew they were wondering what he would do. How would he respond? With anger? With a snide comment? Or with a joke?

Shiro decided to do nothing. He frowned to himself. He rose from his seat and was about to head back to his classroom when he felt a familiar, soft hand touch his arm.

"Shiro-kun…" Rei said softly.

"It's okay, Rei." He turned to the others. "I'll see you guys later." As he headed towards the door, a laugh from the commenter rang out. Shiro visibly stiffened.

Asuka, angered, rose up and slammed her fist onto the table. "What the hell's wrong with you idiots!"

"Leave it alone, Asuka." Shiro said, turning his head slightly to her. This surprised Asuka a little; Shiro had never referred to her by her name, usually calling her 'Red' or by her family name. "They're not worth the trouble." With that, he left the room. The others stood there, saddened by the turn of events. The treatment of their new friend shamed them all. Some may wonder if the human race was worth saving.

When he returned to his classroom, Toji found Shiro at his desk. The young Gargoyle had his computer on apparently working on one of the home assignments early. "Yo, Shiro-kun. You okay?"

Shiro looked up from the screen. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Toji blinked in surprise by the answer. "'Cause of what that ass said that's why." He pulled a seat from a nearby desk and sat down.

Shiro sighed slightly. "Listen Toji. Believe me when I say I've heard worse, by people who could actually hurt me. Some dickhead isn't gonna bother me."

Toji gave him a doubtful look. If that were the case, Shiro would have stayed at the table with the others. Instead, he was in class getting a head start on his homework. Toji was about to call Shiro's obvious bluff when the bell signaling the end of lunch rang out. A moment later his classmates began to file in. He replaced the chair and went to his own desk. He made a mental note to talk to Shinji and Asuka about this.

/^O^\

Commander Ikari stood before the massive tank of LCL that filled the majority of the little known genetics lab deep within Central Dogma. The amber colored liquid glowed with a surreal light of its own as barely visible figures floated lifelessly within. The sound of purifiers rumbled almost noiselessly in the distance and the copper smell of the LCL filled his nose. He turned away from the tank and walked over to Dr. Akagi as she entered commands into a terminal on the far wall.

"Has there been any change?" he asked as she looked up from her work.

"Some improvement" Ritsuko replied. "It's slow going considering how badly contaminated that last batch of LCL was. Honestly, I'm shocked we managed to save any of them." She looked over her shoulder at the tank and barely managed to suppress a shiver at the memory of the decaying, bloated forms that filled the tank two months ago. The stench had made her gag. Like dozens of bad eggs had broken open and smeared all over the room.

"The replacements are growing fine but it'll take time to reach capacity."

Ikari made a grunt of acknowledgment. "Work faster. Use whatever resources you need. I feel the Angels will return soon."

He approached the tank again. He placed a hand on the wall of the massive container. One of the small floating bodies seemed to sense his presence and opened its large crimson eyes, staring coolly at him. After a moment, it closed its eyes again and drifted on oblivious to the outside world.

He lowered his hand and walked away, leaving Ritsuko alone in the nursery.

/^O^\

Toji looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed to himself. It was almost an hour before school was over for the day. He couldn't wait, he wanted to get out of there and visit his sister in the hospital. Miyuki had gotten sick recently and ended up being admitted. She had gone through a battery of tests and her results would be coming in today. He wanted to be with her.

He let out a soft grunt as he dragged his mind to the present; Sagawa-sensei seemed to have a knack for knowing when someone wasn't paying attention. He has seen and been on the receiving end of the frightening accuracy of his chalkboard eraser.

"Suzuhara-kun, would you please read the three quotes on page two-thirty-seven."

Shit. He thought.

He stood up reluctantly, and held his English text book up to his face. He found the quote the teacher had been talking about and was a little surprised. He looked up at Sagawa-sensei and saw the teacher nod. Toji grinned internally realizing what the teacher was trying to do. "All men are created equal, it is only men themselves who place themselves above equality. David Allen Coe."

Toji's reading was interrupted by the sudden sound of squealing tires and a drawn out crash. "What in the world…?" Sagawa-sensei began.

"No way!" A girl near the window cried out. The outburst seemed to trigger an instinct in the students as they all rushed to the window to see what was the matter. In the streets, out past the school gates, a green two door sedan was seen overturned, the front left section of the car was crushed and the roof of the car was partially collapsed. The smell of smoke and gasoline could just barely be smelled through the closed windows. Like many of the students, Toji was stunned by what he saw.

"Move!" He heard Shiro say loudly. He looked to his friend and was confused when he saw him holding up a chair. Then he remembered the windows were built to only open a few inches for some reason. "Move, God-dammit!" Toji wasn't the only one to realize the young gargoyles plan. The students scattered as the wood and metal chair crashed through the window.

"Are you out of your mind!" Sagawa-sensei yelled, shocked by Shiro's actions.

"Call an ambulance," he replied. He picked up another chair and used it to knock out the remaining jagged pieces of glass. He dropped the chair, and climbed through the windows. He stood on the ledge just long enough to unfurl his wings. He jumped, dopping several feet before his wings caught the air and lifted him up. "Call an ambulance," he cried out again, as he glided over the trees and landing quickly on the street, running the rest of the way to the car.

"Sugoi…" the girl next to Toji whispered, awed at the sight.

"You got a cell?" Toji asked.

"A-re? Uhm, hai." She looked confused for a moment, before it dawned on her. "Oh! Right!" She got her cellphone from her schoolbag and began punching numbers. Toji saw that a number of the other students had also retrieved their cellphones. He felt a slight sense of disgust when he saw that a majority were filming Shiro instead of calling for help.

Toji rolled his eyes, before heading to the door.

"Where are you going, Suzuhara!," The teacher said, his face looked pale.

Toji made a face. He considered ignoring the teacher but thought better of it. "I'm going to help my friend." He opened the door and ran.

/^O^\

Shiro landed harder than he intended, his legs nearly buckling under the force. He ran to the car, skidding to a stop when he reached the door.

"Are you alright?" he asked, ducking down to see what he could do.

Inside the mangled car, he saw a woman unconscious, hanging upside-down, the driver side airbag hanging limply from the steering wheel.

"Shit," he said to himself.

He gripped the door as best he could and began to pull. The metal groaned in protest, but held. He continued pulling, bracing his foot against the car for extra leverage. The door groaned louder. "C'mon! Open!" Shiro grunted under the strain. He heard someone run up beside him, but ignored them. Focusing everything he had on the car door, he pull harder, a growl of effort escaped his throat as he felt the door slowly starting to give.

With a final roar of effort, the door moaned in defeat as metal rent and the hinges snapped. Shiro threw the door to the side. He shook his hands in pain.

"Whoa! Shiro, your eyes are glowing!" Toji said, alarmed.

"Huh?" Shiro blinked a few times and his eye-lights extinguished. "Sorry." He ducked down again and reached into the car. "Help me with her, will ya?"

"Right." Moving besides Shiro, Toji climbed in and undid the seatbelt latch as Shiro supported the woman by her shoulders. He scrambled out of the way as Shiro carefully pulled the woman clear of the car. Toji grabbing her legs and the two boys carried her away from the car. They set her down on the sidewalk besides the school's gate. Shiro felt her throat for a pulse. After a few moments of adjusting his finger tips against the woman's neck he finally found one.

"You know first aid?" Toji asked, sounding impressed.

"Nuh-uh," Shiro shook his head. "You?"

Toji shook his head. Sudden panic threatened. What if the woman was really hurt? What could either of them do? He had seen CPR done on television, but he knew if not done correctly it could make things worse. "Crap."

"I know first aid," they heard someone say above them. The two teens looked up to see Rei climbing down their side of the main gate. She dropped down the last three feet and made her way to them. The pale girl knelt down besides Shiro and began to examine the woman.

As Rei checked on the woman, Shiro could hear the distant siren of an ambulance approaching.

"She will be fine," Rei proclaimed. "Only minor cuts and bruises. I do not believe she has a concussion."

"Thank the gods," Shiro let out a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later, the woman, who had gained consciousness as the para-medics were checking her over, was being placed in the ambulance by a pair of med-techs that looked vaguely familiar to Shiro. The thought nagged at him, but he quickly dismissed it as irrelevant. Before the doors of the ambulance closed, the woman had looked at Shiro and Toji and smiled, thanking them.

Shiro, Toji and Rei spent the rest of the afternoon speaking with the police about the crash.

/^O^\

Ritsuko entered the commander's office and strode to his desk. Ikari looked up from the reports about the construction of Units-Three and Four. They had fallen behind schedule.

"What is it?" Ikari said, blandly.

Ritsuko smiled slightly at her superior. "Your plan seems to have worked, Commander. Maza-kun is being hailed a hero by the media at the moment. So are Rei and one of their classmates, a Suzuhara Toji."

"Rei?" The Commander was taken aback by this revelation. "She was there?"

Ritsuko nodded. "Not through all of it. But she did assist."

"Souka." Ikari put on a pensive look as he processed the possible implications.

"If you don't mind me asking, why go through this charade? Surely, there must have been easier ways to boost Maza-kun's image."

Ikari was silent for a short time before answering. "Easier perhaps, but not as swift. For nearly three years NERV have told the general public that the angels are an alien race bent on the destruction of mankind for whatever reason. Then recently, we tell them this young man who, by many cultural accounts, has the appearance of a demon, is here to assist us. I knew the xenophobic tendency of man would never allow him to live in peace. No matter how good Maza's intentions are, humanity would never trust him, and by extension, NERV since we are, in essence, his guardians."

"So, to win the hearts and minds of the public, you employed a sort of shock and awe. Very clever. The only downside is, the school's principle is rather upset Maza-kun threw a chair through a window."

She noticed a hint of a smile on Ikari's face. For some reason he found it humorous. "People tend to embrace a hero who acts, rather than someone who says they wish to be friends."

Ritsuko looked pensive for a moment. "This may not last forever. What will you do if the public begins to get hostile again? Set a building on fire and hope Maza-kun is nearby?"

"If that's what it takes." Ikari returned to his reports. It was his way of closing the matter.

Ritsuko was taken aback. She had meant the question as a joke. As she thought on it, deep down she knew the commander meant every word.

END.


	3. Training Day

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 3: Training Day

By Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Shiro stepped out of the changing room dressed in a modified green and black Plug-suit. He felt self-conscious about how tightly the suit clung to him. It looked like a scuba outfit but it was made of a thinner, stronger material that felt somewhat like vinyl. Openings had been constructed to accommodate his wings and tail. The feeling of the water tight seal around his throat and the base of his wings and tail would take some time to get used to.

He grinned sheepishly seeing Maya and Dr. Akagi waiting for him. Ritsuko smirked slightly at the gargoyle and approached him. "How does it feel, Maza-kun?" She asked as she walked behind him and checked the seals around his wings. She gently prodded the red rubber-like material with her fingertips. She looked down at the base of his tail. Ritsuko stopped herself from performing a manual inspection there, not wanting to embarrass the young man more than she knew he probably felt. "Not too tight?" She took hold of his arm, raising it to the side. She asked him to move his elbow. The material at his elbows and knees had to be made of multiple layers of modified Kevlar to deal with the bony spurs that jutted out of the joints; otherwise the suit would rip every time he moved his arms. By the time the R&D team found a working configuration, it ended up looking like sport pads.

"The tail is fine, feels a little weird, but nothing major." He rotated his shoulders and winced slightly at the way the seals rubbed against the membrane of his wings where they joined his back. "My wings feel like I'm gonna get blisters if I move too much." Shiro folded his wings around his shoulders, and sighed slightly as the sensation of pressure seemed to decrease around the roots.

"Hmm..." Ritsuko thought for a moment, studying the way Shiro's wing-struts shifted. "We may have to replace the material of the seal with something more pliant." She smiled slightly. "That or amputate."

Shiro's head snapped to the side, looking at the older woman.

Maya chuckled to herself at Shiro's expression. "Be a sport, Shiro-kun. It'll probably be cheaper than replacing the seals and you'll fit in better."

"That's not funny," Shiro muttered. He knew the two women were joking, but the very idea... A shiver ran up his spine.

"So... are you ready for your first training session?" Ritsuko asked him. She could see the pre-occupied expression on his face.

"Yeah, no time like the present and all that," Shiro replied.

He followed the both of them down the corridor to a large chamber that looked much like the Eva docking area. A large bridge elevator rested on the far wall with a Entry Plug waiting to be occupied. Shiro could see a number a workers checking and rechecking the equipment.

Below the bridge, looking like something from a horror movie was a trio of massive Evangelion torsos suspended by huge racks and conduits attached at various points along the arms, chest and back. The torsos were unarmored, the grayish-brown skin exposed to the air. At the waist, where the hips would be if it were a complete unit and not a training dummy, were large cables that hung down and looped back into it giving the appearance of intestines.

"Geez..." Shiro gasped at the sight. "Who designed this? Clive Barker?"

Maya giggled a bit, remembering asking a similar question the first time seeing the training system. Though to her, it looked more Giger-esque than Barker. "It may be disturbing to look at Shiro-kun, but it's the best way for the pilots to train short of sending the Evas into the city."

"Heh. I bet." Imagining the looks on peoples' faces seeing the multi-story behemoths strolling down the streets brought a grin to his face. "Would be fun though."

Maya left them at that time to the control room to begin setting the training program as Ritsuko saw to Shiro. As they approached the Plug, a sensation of apprehension suddenly formed in the pit of his stomach. Was he ready to do this? Could he do this? He knew it was only training exercise and he was told he had the right genetic make-up to be a pilot, but still... He looked back to Dr. Akagi, who waited patiently for him to climb into the long control cylinder. His gaze shifted to the large windows leading to the control room. He was pleasantly surprised to see Rei standing beside Maya, a hand pressed against the glass. Even at the distance, he could just barely make out the smiles of support on their faces. He couldn't help but return it in kind. A new sense of determination grew within him. Can't let them down…, he thought to himself as he climbed into the Entry Plug.

He sat in the control chair, shifting around until he was comfortable. Ritsuko was leaning into the Entry Plug, her hand braced against the entrance. "Are you all set, Maza-kun?" she asked.

He nodded and pressed a switch that lowered the top half of the chair around his legs, securing him in place. "Any last minute advice, Doc?"

"Just take your time, Maza-kun. Rushing through training isn't going to help you in the long run."

"Yeah, Shinji told me how you basically stuffed him in Eva-One, with no training what-so-ever. Who was the genius that thought of that?"

"Commander Ikari." Ritsuko chuckled at Shiro's reaction. "And for the record, we didn't have much choice. Rei was injured and Asuka was still in Germany at the time." She went over the controls with Shiro one last time before she had the hatch sealed. The plug was dark for a minute or so, lit only by the control panel before him. Soon, the Entry Plug came to life as the 360 degree monitor suddenly came to life around him in a riot of psychedelic colors and patterns before settling into a view of the docking area outside.

The monitor to his left blinked, and an image of Ritsuko in the control room could be seen. He could see Maya seated at a computer station in the background. He spotted Rei a short distance away, keeping herself out the way of the technicians.

"Plug-suit telemetry is green across the board, Sempai." Maya began, reading from her station monitor. "Pulse, respiration and others are within norms."

"Excellent. Begin LCL injection." Ritsuko turned to face the camera and spoke to Shiro. "You've already been brief on how LCL works. Ne, Maza-kun?"

Shiro could already feel the orange fluid pooling around his feet by the time Ritsuko addressed him. He had been told by the other pilots about the stuff, but part of him had thought it was a joke. Breathing fluids was unnatural and he made it a point to repeat his opinion.

The LCL was at his waist.

He struggled against the sense of panic that was building. By the time the LCL reached his neck he was already holding a breath he had been told was unnecessary. He saw the annoyed look on Ritsuko's face and mentally cursed her. He wondered if she ever tried to do this or not.

The LCL level rose disconcertingly above his head.

"Pilot's pulse is increasing." Maya said. She turned away from her station and looked into the camera. "Shiro-kun, stop holding your breath. You'll make yourself sick." Shiro's lungs were beginning to burn. Small bubbles of air escaped. He clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Relax, Shiro-kun," he heard Rei's voice say calmly. He saw her walk closer to the camera. She had a look of calmness about her. She had a confidence in the technology that he didn't feel. "Humans breath fluids for the first nine months of their existence. Your body will remember."

His breath suddenly exploded from his mouth, rushing up to the ceiling of the Plug. He leaned off to the side, wheezing, as his lungs filled with LCL.

"That's right." Ritsuko said calmly. "Just breath. The LCL will supply you with all the oxygen you'll need. You'll get used to it after a minute."

A strange sense of déjà vu filled him as he breathed the thin liquid in and out. It felt oddly familiar to him, but that was impossible. He had never done anything like this before. Then he remembered what Rei said, and thought, perhaps that was it.

"How do you feel, Maza-kun?" Ritsuko asked after a few moments.

"Like a half-drowned cat," he growled. He straightened up, leaning back against his seat. "Fuck, this feels weird." He sucked in a deep breath and then coughed as a few small bubbles dislodged themselves from his lungs. He looked to Rei. "Was it like that the first time for you?"

Rei thought for a moment before answering. "Not quite as dramatically, Shiro-kun."

Shiro nodded, wondering if he looked like a total wuss in front of her. He sighed to himself, a totally new experience being submerged in a liquid he could breathe. He turned his head and noticed a readout on the screen to his left. It was all in Kanji. "Uh..."

Ritsuko made an annoyed expression. "You really must learn to read the language, Maza-kun." She turned to someone off screen. "Set the fundamental control system to English." Shiro saw the characters on his screen shift to English. "Better?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good. We have to determine your sync-rate now. It may take a few minutes."

"So... what do you want me to do?" He gripped the forward controls, preparing himself for whatever the test required.

"For now, just concentrate." She walked off camera before Shiro could ask her to elaborate.

Shiro's shoulders sagged. He was looking forward to see what he can do.

"Concentrate, she says. That's a big help." he mumbled to himself.

He looked around the Entry Plug, looking at the readouts on the spherical screen around him. "Wonder if there's a radio in here somewhere."

"You need to empty your mind of stray thoughts, Shiro-kun." Rei said, suddenly. She had taken Ritsuko's place in front of the camera, her hands folded in front of her as she looked into the camera.

"What do you mean?" His search for the radio was abandoned for the moment.

"If you can keep your mind focused, your sync-rate will increase. A higher percentage means your control of Eva will improve."

"Oh." He tried closing his eyes and clearing his mind. He breathed slowly, trying to relax. Unfortunately, he couldn't, his mind kept wandering to various things in his life. School, his friends, that annoying reporter that kept trying to get an interview with him, Toji and Rei. The last brought a brief, yet visible frown on his face.

"Don't think of anything negative, Shiro-kun," Rei said. "It will lower your score."

"The Evas are primarily controlled through the A-10 nerve cluster," Maya explained. "The clips on your head read your impulses and relay them to the Eva. The A-10 is also associated with memories, cognizance, joy and pleasure. So having a positive attitude actually helps."

"What do you guys think of?" Shiro asked Rei, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Ikari-kun thinks of his mother, from before she... left." Rei paused in thought for a moment. "Souryu focuses on having the highest sync-rate." Shiro's left eye popped open and stared at the screen blankly. Rei shrugged, seeing his expression. "It works for her."

"Basically, think happy thoughts, huh?" Shiro closed his eye.

Maya chuckled lightly. "As strange as it sounds. The most powerful weapon on earth runs on fairy dust." The remark got some laughs from some of the techs around the room.

"What do you think about, Rei?" Shiro asked.

The question brought a slight blush to her face. Previously, she had managed to keep her mind clear of everything except the task at hand, and for the most part it worked. Though her score was usually the lowest of the three pilots, they had always been consistent, where Shinji's and Asuka's fluctuated depending on their moods. Recently however, memories of certain moments that had occurred in the last few weeks invaded her thoughts. Times of quiet conversations, or stolen glances. Secret visits and moments of bliss. Her sync-rate had increased seven points from her average. "I think... of the peace I feel after it rains."

It took him several seconds before he understood what she was referring to. A smile formed on the demi-goyle's face.

/^0^\

The day after the car crash, Maya had called Shiro to inform him that she would be unable to pick him up after school as there was a problem with a new piece of equipment for Eva-Zero, and if he would have any problem returning to the Geo-front with Rei.

The two walked together, headed to the nearest NERV transport hub, when Shiro talked Rei into taking a detour into one of the nearby parks. The two spent time together talking, rather Shiro was doing most of the talking and Rei was listening. They spoke of his clan and New York. Rei told him of some of the antics she had witnessed between Shinji, Asuka and Misato.

They sat on a bench near a duck pond. Though there were people around they didn't pay them much attention. Shiro had his wings folded, so he could blend in better. Some people did recognize them from media reports but left them alone. They were too busy making their way out of the park as gray clouds slowly drifted overhead into the city.

"They're more like a family, than an officer and subordinates," Rei said "Sometimes I wish..." Her thought drifted off.

Shiro nodded in understanding. He knew she was isolated from others. She was perceived as cold by most except by the people that knew her best. "You want to be a part of that. Not to be alone so much."

"Hai," she said quietly. "They invite me to dinner sometimes." She allowed herself a small smile at the memories of her last meal with them. Shinji had made the meal with Asuka's assistance. Though not elaborate, the food was quite good. Shinji had much practice over the years being the primary cook for the small surrogate family.

"Well... you got me," Shiro said. "That's a start I suppose." After a moment, an idea came to him. "Maybe we could, I don't know, do something like that? Maybe invite them over or something."

Before she could reply, the clouds unzipped themselves, unloading their contents onto the city. The two ran, searching for cover as the rain came down. They finally found shelter in a nearby area of the park with picnic tables each with their own gazebo-style covers. They shook the water out of their hair as best they could but it was no use. The rain had come down too hard and unexpectedly. Their soaked uniforms clung to them like second skins. They stared at each for a short time, neither saying a word.

Shiro felt himself drawn to the girl before him. He reached up and gently held Rei by the shoulders. The urge to kiss her was nearly overpowering. Rei looked up into his face, as if waiting to see what he was going to do. Shiro came within inches of completing the impulse, but the sudden thought of what might happen if they were seen came to mind. He released her and took a step back. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's alright." Rei replied as she took a seat at the table. "I know you worry about what others think of you."

"I wouldn't go that far." He sat down next to Rei, but not as close as he would have liked to. Rei gave him an unwavering look. Coincidentally, thunder rumbled at the same moment. "Okay, maybe a little."

"You shouldn't. There are those who will never see you as you are, no matter what you do. As you had once said: 'They're not worth the trouble.'"

Upon hearing that, Shiro decided to take a risk. "How do you see me?"

Rei seemed to have been caught by surprise by the question. She looked away from him, a hint of a blush colored her face. She didn't answer right away. It felt like a long time before Rei finally turned to him and answered. A soft smile enhanced her features.

"I see you as someone I enjoy spending time with."

Shiro couldn't help the large grin that formed on his face. After a short time relishing Rei's words, he shifted himself a little closer to Rei and carefully reached down, taking her hand in his. He was relieved when she didn't pull her hand away. The two of them sat in the park quietly, enjoying the peace they felt as it rained.

/^0^\

"We're done, Shiro-kun." Ritsuko's voice interrupted the memory of the park. He opened his eyes and saw Dr. Akagi standing next to Rei. "You did fairly well. Your sync-rate is 29.3%."

"Is that good?" he asked. Twenty-nine percent didn't seem very high to him.

"Almost five percent above the minimum we need," Ritsuko replied. "Given time, it should go up as your training progress." She placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "Are you ready to get started Maza-kun? I want to run through a few tutorials before we try any scenarios today."

"Yeah, let's get going'. I wanna get out of this stuff and into a shower."

Ritsuko smirked. She knew how LCL could be disturbing to those unused to it. Over the years, she and her team had tried to make modification to the fluid, to make it easier to take in but nothing they tried ever really worked as well as pure LCL.

She turned to Maya and gave instructions to begin the simulation. The image of the control room cut out and the spherical monitor shifted to black. After a few moments, a wire-frame image of Tokyo-3 formed. From the bottom up, each building coalesced, each brick, each door, each pane of glass formed. The digital sky overhead was overcast, bolts of lightning streaked from area to area, or down onto one of the skyscrapers scattered around the downtown area.

"Wow..." said Shiro, incredible impressed by the level of detail. "Doc, whoever programmed this deserves a bonus."

"I'm sure the programmers will appreciate the sentiment. For now, we'll just concentrate on basic movements, before moving to combat techniques and weapons. Try to concentrate on walking."

"Right. Walking." Shiro gripped the controls, and concentrated. He imagined the Eva taking a single step forward. The image of the city lurched forward.

"Good, Maza-kun. Try that again."

Shiro concentrated on walking through the city. For the most part he was successful, though he stumbled a few times and took out a parking complex for his trouble. After an hour, Shiro became proficient enough to move on to other aspects of controlling the Evangelion, such as weapon control.

He was instructed to a weapons cache and told to withdraw the automatic pistol. He was surprised to see the weapon was based on the Desert Eagle, a weapon he had seen in numerous movies and TV shows. A ten-point target appeared about a kilometer away. Rei, having experience with the weapon, gave him instructions on how to use the targeting reticule on the screen before him. He raised the weapon using a two handed grip, he carefully aimed and fired two rounds. The Buick sized rounds slammed into the target, right of center in the eight point circle. When asked, he reminded Ritsuko that his grandmother was a police officer in his world and proper gun use and safety was practically a requirement in his clan.

The next two hours were spent with instruction and drilling with the various weapons. From the bullpup-style pallet rifle, which he seemed to have trouble keeping on target on full-automatic, to the experimental Progressive Sword. Shiro did reasonably well with the bladed weapon, but he had cut through the umbilical cord when he first tried going through one of the practice forms Hudson had taught him.

Ritsuko finally called an end to the day's training session. Which was fine by him, his mind was beginning to tire from a long day of training. The LCL fluid slowly drained away. When the LCL level was below his head a sudden urge to retch overcame him as the LCL was forced from his lungs. He coughed and sputtered, clearing his lungs. "Gods, this stuffs nastier coming up, than going in. Ugh!"

He still had the taste of LCL in his mouth some minutes later when the hatch to the Entry Plug was opened. Maya stuck her head into the Entry Plug, a proud smile on her face. "You did really well, Shiro-kun." She tossed him a bottle of water. He caught it and downed half of it quickly, relieved to get rid of the bitter aftertaste. Shiro climbed out of the Entry Plug, he rolled his neck, which had started to stiffen up.

"Thanks, Maya. But, I really need practice with the rifle. That was embarrassing."

Maya giggled a little remembering the shot pattern in the target. "The term, 'spray and pray', comes to mind." She laughed again at the sour look he gave her. "Go take a shower, Shiro-kun. The LCL is starting to congeal."

He looked down at himself, and saw she was right. The orange liquid was already becoming thick and was sloshing off onto the umbilical bridge. He grinned to the shorter woman before he headed off to the locker room.

Before he took two steps, Maya reached out and stopped him by his arm. "By the way, Shiro-kun, you've been assigned to new quarters outside the Geo-front."

"Wait. Really?" Shiro was surprised by this revelation. He had thought he would be staying in the base for the foreseeable future. "Where? With you?"

Maya shook her head. "My place is too small. No, you've been assigned an apartment in the same building Rei-chan lives in, two or three doors down, I think."

"Oh. Okay. Not so bad."

"Don't look so upset," Maya said sarcastically. She leaned in slightly and spoke softly so only he heard. "You really should try to be more discrete with Rei-chan, especially now."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" He felt panic rise up in him, wondering what he should say or do. He and Rei had discussed their new relationship, and agreed to try to keep it a secret until they knew how people might react to them.

Maya sighed. "Shiro-kun, I admit I'm not the most sophisticated person in the world, but I'm not blind. I've seen the way you two look at each other when you think no one notices. If I noticed, you can bet someone else has."

Shiro paled at the thought.

Maya saw the panic on her ward's face, and cursed herself. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head at the moment. "Shiro, no. Whatever you're thinking, stop. I doubt anything as bad as what you're thinking is ever going to happen. All I'm saying is be discreet that's all, alright."

She saw the look on his face and knew he wasn't totally convinced. "I know from what your father said, your world could be rather... trying." Shiro nodded stiffly. "I like to think things here are at least a little better in that regard. So don't sabotage yourself with negativity. Think happy thought." She gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned.

"Alright, I'll try. No guarantees, but I'll try."

"Good. Get going, Rei is waiting for you."

/^0^\

Less than ten minutes later, Shiro exited the locker room. He smiled seeing Rei leaning against the wall, waiting patiently for him. She smiled, and walked over to him. He saw she had a pair of envelopes in her hands.

"These are for you, Shiro-kun." She handed him the envelopes. "Akagi-sensei asked me to give them to you."

"Thanks. What are they?" he asked as he opened them.

"Your identification card and your monthly stipend," she answered. He opened the first envelope and found a white plastic card with his name and picture on it. "Do not lose that, you will need it to enter the Geo-front from now on."

He smiled at her. "Never had a problem before," he said, referring to the blind spots in security.

Rei nodded in agreement at that. "Ikari-san asked me to thank you for finding the weaknesses in security. He also wanted me to tell you not to do that again."

Shiro choked back a reply, not wanting to say aloud what the Commander can do with his thanks. He then opened the second envelope and found a check in it for sixty-thousand yen. His eyes widened at the number. "This can't be right." He was told he would be receiving some money for food, clothing and whatever else he may need. "Sixty-thousand?" For the first time, he heard Rei laugh. "What?"

She quickly composed herself, a smile stayed on her face. "Shiro-kun, that's about six-hundred American dollars. It's just enough for basic needs."

"Oh." He flushed a little in embarrassment. "Well, at least I don't have to wear a school uniform all the time." Rei gave him a curious look. "Uh..." He wasn't sure how to explain; obviously, Rei didn't see a problem with it. She probably thinks it's just practical, he thought.

"I know I'm considered strange by some," she said softly. "I don't always do or say things that are considered normal. I tend to... not do what others do."

"Everyone's strange in some way. Shinji apologizes for stuff he has no control over and he plays the cello. Asuka's has a big ego. I like music from before I was even born. So wearing a school uniform all the time, you fit right in."

"You think playing the cello is strange?" she asked.

"You don't?"

They continued their conversation for a few minutes before walking off together. Neither of the young couple had noticed they had been discreetly watched by someone.

Gendo Ikari had been heading to a departmental meeting when he spotted Rei and Shiro talking. He had managed to get out of sight as he listened in on their conversation.

To say he was surprised by the apparent familiarity they had with each other was an understatement. He watched Rei, and saw the way she moved, her body language telling him more of her emotional state than any words could. The look of delight she had on her face as she spoke to the gargoyle brought an almost bittersweet joy to Ikari's heart. She looked at Maza the same way Yui would look at him when they had first met. He was torn between allowing the relationship to continue and ordering an end to it. He knew Maza would do everything he could to defy him. It was in the gargoyle's psychological makeup. For the first time, he was uncertain if Rei would obey his order. He saw them turn a corner. Rei paused as if sensing something and spotted him.

Their eyes made contact. He could see the sudden worry on her young face.

Ikari kept his expression neutral as he turned and continued onto his meeting. He had much to think about.

END


	4. Random Days

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 3: Training Day

By Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Shiro stepped out of the changing room dressed in a modified green and black Plug-suit. He felt self-conscious about how tightly the suit clung to him. It looked like a scuba outfit but it was made of a thinner, stronger material that felt somewhat like vinyl. Openings had been constructed to accommodate his wings and tail. The feeling of the water tight seal around his throat and the base of his wings and tail would take some time to get used to.

He grinned sheepishly seeing Maya and Dr. Akagi waiting for him. Ritsuko smirked slightly at the gargoyle and approached him. "How does it feel, Maza-kun?" She asked as she walked behind him and checked the seals around his wings. She gently prodded the red rubber-like material with her fingertips. She looked down at the base of his tail. Ritsuko stopped herself from performing a manual inspection there, not wanting to embarrass the young man more than she knew he probably felt. "Not too tight?" She took hold of his arm, raising it to the side. She asked him to move his elbow. The material at his elbows and knees had to be made of multiple layers of modified Kevlar to deal with the bony spurs that jutted out of the joints; otherwise the suit would rip every time he moved his arms. By the time the R&D team found a working configuration, it ended up looking like sport pads.

"The tail is fine, feels a little weird, but nothing major." He rotated his shoulders and winced slightly at the way the seals rubbed against the membrane of his wings where they joined his back. "My wings feel like I'm gonna get blisters if I move too much." Shiro folded his wings around his shoulders, and sighed slightly as the sensation of pressure seemed to decrease around the roots.

"Hmm..." Ritsuko thought for a moment, studying the way Shiro's wing-struts shifted. "We may have to replace the material of the seal with something more pliant." She smiled slightly. "That or amputate."

Shiro's head snapped to the side, looking at the older woman.

Maya chuckled to herself at Shiro's expression. "Be a sport, Shiro-kun. It'll probably be cheaper than replacing the seals and you'll fit in better."

"That's not funny," Shiro muttered. He knew the two women were joking, but the very idea... A shiver ran up his spine.

"So... are you ready for your first training session?" Ritsuko asked him. She could see the pre-occupied expression on his face.

"Yeah, no time like the present and all that," Shiro replied.

He followed the both of them down the corridor to a large chamber that looked much like the Eva docking area. A large bridge elevator rested on the far wall with a Entry Plug waiting to be occupied. Shiro could see a number a workers checking and rechecking the equipment.

Below the bridge, looking like something from a horror movie was a trio of massive Evangelion torsos suspended by huge racks and conduits attached at various points along the arms, chest and back. The torsos were unarmored, the grayish-brown skin exposed to the air. At the waist, where the hips would be if it were a complete unit and not a training dummy, were large cables that hung down and looped back into it giving the appearance of intestines.

"Geez..." Shiro gasped at the sight. "Who designed this? Clive Barker?"

Maya giggled a bit, remembering asking a similar question the first time seeing the training system. Though to her, it looked more Giger-esque than Barker. "It may be disturbing to look at Shiro-kun, but it's the best way for the pilots to train short of sending the Evas into the city."

"Heh. I bet." Imagining the looks on peoples' faces seeing the multi-story behemoths strolling down the streets brought a grin to his face. "Would be fun though."

Maya left them at that time to the control room to begin setting the training program as Ritsuko saw to Shiro. As they approached the Plug, a sensation of apprehension suddenly formed in the pit of his stomach. Was he ready to do this? Could he do this? He knew it was only training exercise and he was told he had the right genetic make-up to be a pilot, but still... He looked back to Dr. Akagi, who waited patiently for him to climb into the long control cylinder. His gaze shifted to the large windows leading to the control room. He was pleasantly surprised to see Rei standing beside Maya, a hand pressed against the glass. Even at the distance, he could just barely make out the smiles of support on their faces. He couldn't help but return it in kind. A new sense of determination grew within him. Can't let them down…, he thought to himself as he climbed into the Entry Plug.

He sat in the control chair, shifting around until he was comfortable. Ritsuko was leaning into the Entry Plug, her hand braced against the entrance. "Are you all set, Maza-kun?" she asked.

He nodded and pressed a switch that lowered the top half of the chair around his legs, securing him in place. "Any last minute advice, Doc?"

"Just take your time, Maza-kun. Rushing through training isn't going to help you in the long run."

"Yeah, Shinji told me how you basically stuffed him in Eva-One, with no training what-so-ever. Who was the genius that thought of that?"

"Commander Ikari." Ritsuko chuckled at Shiro's reaction. "And for the record, we didn't have much choice. Rei was injured and Asuka was still in Germany at the time." She went over the controls with Shiro one last time before she had the hatch sealed. The plug was dark for a minute or so, lit only by the control panel before him. Soon, the Entry Plug came to life as the 360 degree monitor suddenly came to life around him in a riot of psychedelic colors and patterns before settling into a view of the docking area outside.

The monitor to his left blinked, and an image of Ritsuko in the control room could be seen. He could see Maya seated at a computer station in the background. He spotted Rei a short distance away, keeping herself out the way of the technicians.

"Plug-suit telemetry is green across the board, Sempai." Maya began, reading from her station monitor. "Pulse, respiration and others are within norms."

"Excellent. Begin LCL injection." Ritsuko turned to face the camera and spoke to Shiro. "You've already been brief on how LCL works. Ne, Maza-kun?"

Shiro could already feel the orange fluid pooling around his feet by the time Ritsuko addressed him. He had been told by the other pilots about the stuff, but part of him had thought it was a joke. Breathing fluids was unnatural and he made it a point to repeat his opinion.

The LCL was at his waist.

He struggled against the sense of panic that was building. By the time the LCL reached his neck he was already holding a breath he had been told was unnecessary. He saw the annoyed look on Ritsuko's face and mentally cursed her. He wondered if she ever tried to do this or not.

The LCL level rose disconcertingly above his head.

"Pilot's pulse is increasing." Maya said. She turned away from her station and looked into the camera. "Shiro-kun, stop holding your breath. You'll make yourself sick." Shiro's lungs were beginning to burn. Small bubbles of air escaped. He clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Relax, Shiro-kun," he heard Rei's voice say calmly. He saw her walk closer to the camera. She had a look of calmness about her. She had a confidence in the technology that he didn't feel. "Humans breath fluids for the first nine months of their existence. Your body will remember."

His breath suddenly exploded from his mouth, rushing up to the ceiling of the Plug. He leaned off to the side, wheezing, as his lungs filled with LCL.

"That's right." Ritsuko said calmly. "Just breath. The LCL will supply you with all the oxygen you'll need. You'll get used to it after a minute."

A strange sense of déjà vu filled him as he breathed the thin liquid in and out. It felt oddly familiar to him, but that was impossible. He had never done anything like this before. Then he remembered what Rei said, and thought, perhaps that was it.

"How do you feel, Maza-kun?" Ritsuko asked after a few moments.

"Like a half-drowned cat," he growled. He straightened up, leaning back against his seat. "Fuck, this feels weird." He sucked in a deep breath and then coughed as a few small bubbles dislodged themselves from his lungs. He looked to Rei. "Was it like that the first time for you?"

Rei thought for a moment before answering. "Not quite as dramatically, Shiro-kun."

Shiro nodded, wondering if he looked like a total wuss in front of her. He sighed to himself, a totally new experience being submerged in a liquid he could breathe. He turned his head and noticed a readout on the screen to his left. It was all in Kanji. "Uh..."

Ritsuko made an annoyed expression. "You really must learn to read the language, Maza-kun." She turned to someone off screen. "Set the fundamental control system to English." Shiro saw the characters on his screen shift to English. "Better?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good. We have to determine your sync-rate now. It may take a few minutes."

"So... what do you want me to do?" He gripped the forward controls, preparing himself for whatever the test required.

"For now, just concentrate." She walked off camera before Shiro could ask her to elaborate.

Shiro's shoulders sagged. He was looking forward to see what he can do.

"Concentrate, she says. That's a big help." he mumbled to himself.

He looked around the Entry Plug, looking at the readouts on the spherical screen around him. "Wonder if there's a radio in here somewhere."

"You need to empty your mind of stray thoughts, Shiro-kun." Rei said, suddenly. She had taken Ritsuko's place in front of the camera, her hands folded in front of her as she looked into the camera.

"What do you mean?" His search for the radio was abandoned for the moment.

"If you can keep your mind focused, your sync-rate will increase. A higher percentage means your control of Eva will improve."

"Oh." He tried closing his eyes and clearing his mind. He breathed slowly, trying to relax. Unfortunately, he couldn't, his mind kept wandering to various things in his life. School, his friends, that annoying reporter that kept trying to get an interview with him, Toji and Rei. The last brought a brief, yet visible frown on his face.

"Don't think of anything negative, Shiro-kun," Rei said. "It will lower your score."

"The Evas are primarily controlled through the A-10 nerve cluster," Maya explained. "The clips on your head read your impulses and relay them to the Eva. The A-10 is also associated with memories, cognizance, joy and pleasure. So having a positive attitude actually helps."

"What do you guys think of?" Shiro asked Rei, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Ikari-kun thinks of his mother, from before she... left." Rei paused in thought for a moment. "Souryu focuses on having the highest sync-rate." Shiro's left eye popped open and stared at the screen blankly. Rei shrugged, seeing his expression. "It works for her."

"Basically, think happy thoughts, huh?" Shiro closed his eye.

Maya chuckled lightly. "As strange as it sounds. The most powerful weapon on earth runs on fairy dust." The remark got some laughs from some of the techs around the room.

"What do you think about, Rei?" Shiro asked.

The question brought a slight blush to her face. Previously, she had managed to keep her mind clear of everything except the task at hand, and for the most part it worked. Though her score was usually the lowest of the three pilots, they had always been consistent, where Shinji's and Asuka's fluctuated depending on their moods. Recently however, memories of certain moments that had occurred in the last few weeks invaded her thoughts. Times of quiet conversations, or stolen glances. Secret visits and moments of bliss. Her sync-rate had increased seven points from her average. "I think... of the peace I feel after it rains."

It took him several seconds before he understood what she was referring to. A smile formed on the demi-goyle's face.

/^0^\

The day after the car crash, Maya had called Shiro to inform him that she would be unable to pick him up after school as there was a problem with a new piece of equipment for Eva-Zero, and if he would have any problem returning to the Geo-front with Rei.

The two walked together, headed to the nearest NERV transport hub, when Shiro talked Rei into taking a detour into one of the nearby parks. The two spent time together talking, rather Shiro was doing most of the talking and Rei was listening. They spoke of his clan and New York. Rei told him of some of the antics she had witnessed between Shinji, Asuka and Misato.

They sat on a bench near a duck pond. Though there were people around they didn't pay them much attention. Shiro had his wings folded, so he could blend in better. Some people did recognize them from media reports but left them alone. They were too busy making their way out of the park as gray clouds slowly drifted overhead into the city.

"They're more like a family, than an officer and subordinates," Rei said "Sometimes I wish..." Her thought drifted off.

Shiro nodded in understanding. He knew she was isolated from others. She was perceived as cold by most except by the people that knew her best. "You want to be a part of that. Not to be alone so much."

"Hai," she said quietly. "They invite me to dinner sometimes." She allowed herself a small smile at the memories of her last meal with them. Shinji had made the meal with Asuka's assistance. Though not elaborate, the food was quite good. Shinji had much practice over the years being the primary cook for the small surrogate family.

"Well... you got me," Shiro said. "That's a start I suppose." After a moment, an idea came to him. "Maybe we could, I don't know, do something like that? Maybe invite them over or something."

Before she could reply, the clouds unzipped themselves, unloading their contents onto the city. The two ran, searching for cover as the rain came down. They finally found shelter in a nearby area of the park with picnic tables each with their own gazebo-style covers. They shook the water out of their hair as best they could but it was no use. The rain had come down too hard and unexpectedly. Their soaked uniforms clung to them like second skins. They stared at each for a short time, neither saying a word.

Shiro felt himself drawn to the girl before him. He reached up and gently held Rei by the shoulders. The urge to kiss her was nearly overpowering. Rei looked up into his face, as if waiting to see what he was going to do. Shiro came within inches of completing the impulse, but the sudden thought of what might happen if they were seen came to mind. He released her and took a step back. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's alright." Rei replied as she took a seat at the table. "I know you worry about what others think of you."

"I wouldn't go that far." He sat down next to Rei, but not as close as he would have liked to. Rei gave him an unwavering look. Coincidentally, thunder rumbled at the same moment. "Okay, maybe a little."

"You shouldn't. There are those who will never see you as you are, no matter what you do. As you had once said: 'They're not worth the trouble.'"

Upon hearing that, Shiro decided to take a risk. "How do you see me?"

Rei seemed to have been caught by surprise by the question. She looked away from him, a hint of a blush colored her face. She didn't answer right away. It felt like a long time before Rei finally turned to him and answered. A soft smile enhanced her features.

"I see you as someone I enjoy spending time with."

Shiro couldn't help the large grin that formed on his face. After a short time relishing Rei's words, he shifted himself a little closer to Rei and carefully reached down, taking her hand in his. He was relieved when she didn't pull her hand away. The two of them sat in the park quietly, enjoying the peace they felt as it rained.

/^0^\

"We're done, Shiro-kun." Ritsuko's voice interrupted the memory of the park. He opened his eyes and saw Dr. Akagi standing next to Rei. "You did fairly well. Your sync-rate is 29.3%."

"Is that good?" he asked. Twenty-nine percent didn't seem very high to him.

"Almost five percent above the minimum we need," Ritsuko replied. "Given time, it should go up as your training progress." She placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "Are you ready to get started Maza-kun? I want to run through a few tutorials before we try any scenarios today."

"Yeah, let's get going'. I wanna get out of this stuff and into a shower."

Ritsuko smirked. She knew how LCL could be disturbing to those unused to it. Over the years, she and her team had tried to make modification to the fluid, to make it easier to take in but nothing they tried ever really worked as well as pure LCL.

She turned to Maya and gave instructions to begin the simulation. The image of the control room cut out and the spherical monitor shifted to black. After a few moments, a wire-frame image of Tokyo-3 formed. From the bottom up, each building coalesced, each brick, each door, each pane of glass formed. The digital sky overhead was overcast, bolts of lightning streaked from area to area, or down onto one of the skyscrapers scattered around the downtown area.

"Wow..." said Shiro, incredible impressed by the level of detail. "Doc, whoever programmed this deserves a bonus."

"I'm sure the programmers will appreciate the sentiment. For now, we'll just concentrate on basic movements, before moving to combat techniques and weapons. Try to concentrate on walking."

"Right. Walking." Shiro gripped the controls, and concentrated. He imagined the Eva taking a single step forward. The image of the city lurched forward.

"Good, Maza-kun. Try that again."

Shiro concentrated on walking through the city. For the most part he was successful, though he stumbled a few times and took out a parking complex for his trouble. After an hour, Shiro became proficient enough to move on to other aspects of controlling the Evangelion, such as weapon control.

He was instructed to a weapons cache and told to withdraw the automatic pistol. He was surprised to see the weapon was based on the Desert Eagle, a weapon he had seen in numerous movies and TV shows. A ten-point target appeared about a kilometer away. Rei, having experience with the weapon, gave him instructions on how to use the targeting reticule on the screen before him. He raised the weapon using a two handed grip, he carefully aimed and fired two rounds. The Buick sized rounds slammed into the target, right of center in the eight point circle. When asked, he reminded Ritsuko that his grandmother was a police officer in his world and proper gun use and safety was practically a requirement in his clan.

The next two hours were spent with instruction and drilling with the various weapons. From the bullpup-style pallet rifle, which he seemed to have trouble keeping on target on full-automatic, to the experimental Progressive Sword. Shiro did reasonably well with the bladed weapon, but he had cut through the umbilical cord when he first tried going through one of the practice forms Hudson had taught him.

Ritsuko finally called an end to the day's training session. Which was fine by him, his mind was beginning to tire from a long day of training. The LCL fluid slowly drained away. When the LCL level was below his head a sudden urge to retch overcame him as the LCL was forced from his lungs. He coughed and sputtered, clearing his lungs. "Gods, this stuffs nastier coming up, than going in. Ugh!"

He still had the taste of LCL in his mouth some minutes later when the hatch to the Entry Plug was opened. Maya stuck her head into the Entry Plug, a proud smile on her face. "You did really well, Shiro-kun." She tossed him a bottle of water. He caught it and downed half of it quickly, relieved to get rid of the bitter aftertaste. Shiro climbed out of the Entry Plug, he rolled his neck, which had started to stiffen up.

"Thanks, Maya. But, I really need practice with the rifle. That was embarrassing."

Maya giggled a little remembering the shot pattern in the target. "The term, 'spray and pray', comes to mind." She laughed again at the sour look he gave her. "Go take a shower, Shiro-kun. The LCL is starting to congeal."

He looked down at himself, and saw she was right. The orange liquid was already becoming thick and was sloshing off onto the umbilical bridge. He grinned to the shorter woman before he headed off to the locker room.

Before he took two steps, Maya reached out and stopped him by his arm. "By the way, Shiro-kun, you've been assigned to new quarters outside the Geo-front."

"Wait. Really?" Shiro was surprised by this revelation. He had thought he would be staying in the base for the foreseeable future. "Where? With you?"

Maya shook her head. "My place is too small. No, you've been assigned an apartment in the same building Rei-chan lives in, two or three doors down, I think."

"Oh. Okay. Not so bad."

"Don't look so upset," Maya said sarcastically. She leaned in slightly and spoke softly so only he heard. "You really should try to be more discrete with Rei-chan, especially now."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" He felt panic rise up in him, wondering what he should say or do. He and Rei had discussed their new relationship, and agreed to try to keep it a secret until they knew how people might react to them.

Maya sighed. "Shiro-kun, I admit I'm not the most sophisticated person in the world, but I'm not blind. I've seen the way you two look at each other when you think no one notices. If I noticed, you can bet someone else has."

Shiro paled at the thought.

Maya saw the panic on her ward's face, and cursed herself. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head at the moment. "Shiro, no. Whatever you're thinking, stop. I doubt anything as bad as what you're thinking is ever going to happen. All I'm saying is be discreet that's all, alright."

She saw the look on his face and knew he wasn't totally convinced. "I know from what your father said, your world could be rather... trying." Shiro nodded stiffly. "I like to think things here are at least a little better in that regard. So don't sabotage yourself with negativity. Think happy thought." She gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned.

"Alright, I'll try. No guarantees, but I'll try."

"Good. Get going, Rei is waiting for you."

/^0^\

Less than ten minutes later, Shiro exited the locker room. He smiled seeing Rei leaning against the wall, waiting patiently for him. She smiled, and walked over to him. He saw she had a pair of envelopes in her hands.

"These are for you, Shiro-kun." She handed him the envelopes. "Akagi-sensei asked me to give them to you."

"Thanks. What are they?" he asked as he opened them.

"Your identification card and your monthly stipend," she answered. He opened the first envelope and found a white plastic card with his name and picture on it. "Do not lose that, you will need it to enter the Geo-front from now on."

He smiled at her. "Never had a problem before," he said, referring to the blind spots in security.

Rei nodded in agreement at that. "Ikari-san asked me to thank you for finding the weaknesses in security. He also wanted me to tell you not to do that again."

Shiro choked back a reply, not wanting to say aloud what the Commander can do with his thanks. He then opened the second envelope and found a check in it for sixty-thousand yen. His eyes widened at the number. "This can't be right." He was told he would be receiving some money for food, clothing and whatever else he may need. "Sixty-thousand?" For the first time, he heard Rei laugh. "What?"

She quickly composed herself, a smile stayed on her face. "Shiro-kun, that's about six-hundred American dollars. It's just enough for basic needs."

"Oh." He flushed a little in embarrassment. "Well, at least I don't have to wear a school uniform all the time." Rei gave him a curious look. "Uh..." He wasn't sure how to explain; obviously, Rei didn't see a problem with it. She probably thinks it's just practical, he thought.

"I know I'm considered strange by some," she said softly. "I don't always do or say things that are considered normal. I tend to... not do what others do."

"Everyone's strange in some way. Shinji apologizes for stuff he has no control over and he plays the cello. Asuka's has a big ego. I like music from before I was even born. So wearing a school uniform all the time, you fit right in."

"You think playing the cello is strange?" she asked.

"You don't?"

They continued their conversation for a few minutes before walking off together. Neither of the young couple had noticed they had been discreetly watched by someone.

Gendo Ikari had been heading to a departmental meeting when he spotted Rei and Shiro talking. He had managed to get out of sight as he listened in on their conversation.

To say he was surprised by the apparent familiarity they had with each other was an understatement. He watched Rei, and saw the way she moved, her body language telling him more of her emotional state than any words could. The look of delight she had on her face as she spoke to the gargoyle brought an almost bittersweet joy to Ikari's heart. She looked at Maza the same way Yui would look at him when they had first met. He was torn between allowing the relationship to continue and ordering an end to it. He knew Maza would do everything he could to defy him. It was in the gargoyle's psychological makeup. For the first time, he was uncertain if Rei would obey his order. He saw them turn a corner. Rei paused as if sensing something and spotted him.

Their eyes made contact. He could see the sudden worry on her young face.

Ikari kept his expression neutral as he turned and continued onto his meeting. He had much to think about.

END


	5. Day of Confessions

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 5: Day of Confession

By Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.  
Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

Shiro woke with a start at the sound of his alarm clock. The rhythmic blare of the speaker annoyed him to no end as he slammed his hand down on the top, hitting the large snooze button. He rolled over and quickly fell back to sleep. A few minutes later, the clock erupted again. Shiro growled at the clock, half tempted to toss the thing out of his window. He stopped himself when his clouded mind cleared enough to remember it was a gift from Misato when he moved into his apartment a few days before.

"It's designed to take a real beating," Misato said with a grin. "You can even throw it against the wall to turn it off."

With a massive yawn, he sat up in his bed and stretched his arms over his head. Rising from his bed, he made his way to the bathroom and began his morning routine. He ate a bowl of cold cereal and quickly got dressed for school.

He was about to head out when he remembered a report he was to turn in for his social studies teacher. Mr. Watanabi had asked him to write a report on his clan and gargoyle culture. It was easy enough to write. Thankfully, NERV's public report was rather vague in certain aspects, he wasn't worried about writing anything that was contrary to NERV's story about him being an alien. He wrote about varying members of his clan, and what they taught him. He wanted to put in how his great-grandfather turned him into a fan of "The Who" and "Creedance Clearwater Revival", but had to leave that little bit out because he thought it may raise too many questions.

He left his apartment, and walked over to Rei's door. He was about to knock when the door opened. Rei paused for a moment; she smiled slightly at him which he easily returned.  
"Ohaiyo gozaimas, Shiro-kun."

"Mornin'" He replied. He stopped himself from leaning over and kissing her. Though they were the only ones living in the building, he remembered Maya's advised discretion. "You ready to go?"

"Hai."

As they walked to school, they discussed their plan on inviting Shinji, Asuka and Misato over for dinner. Though both their apartments were rather small, they came up with the idea they would disassemble Shiro's bed, store it in Rei's apartment for the meal, and when the others had left, reassemble the bed.

As they approached the school, they were greeted by a number of the other students. In the months since he began to attend school with the human students, they had grown accustomed to Shiro's appearance and very few of them went out of their way to avoid him. He had even made a number of friends outside of the core group he had become to think of as his surrogate clan. As they walked, Shiro realized that Rei had become even quieter than she usually was.

"Something wrong, Rei?" He asked, stopping a short way from the main gate. He looked at her and saw the subtle way her expression changed. She was concerned about something and wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"I... I believe Suzuhara-kun is angry with me," she said, her expression becoming more pronounced. Shiro asked why she thought that. "I wouldn't take the blood test when we were at the hospital."

"Oh that." He said nonchalantly. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. He knows we're under orders not to take the test."

"But you, Ikari-kun and Souryu..." She looked down at her feet, feeling almost ashamed at being the only one of the pilots to hold out. However, she understood why she could not submit her blood to the hospital. Her rather unique blood chemistry would raise too many questions, and possibly endanger what Comm. Ikari was trying to accomplish.

Shiro sighed slightly. He wanted to tell her it was alright and Toji wasn't angry at her, but he wasn't sure. Though he understood the loyalty she felt to the elder Ikari, he felt a little upset himself when they had went to the hospital but she wouldn't take the blood test.

"Listen Rei, I don't think Toji's angry at you. Maybe if you explain to him why, I think he'll be okay with it. You two are friends after all, right?"

Rei looked at Shiro in surprise. Friends? With Suzuhara? She had never thought of him that way. Though she associated with him on occasion, she had always thought of him as Shinji's friend, not hers. Now that she thought on it, the only people her own age she ever thought of as her friend were Shinji and perhaps Asuka to a lesser extent. Was Suzuhara her friend? She recalled a question she had read in a book of philosophy. If Suzuhara were to disappear tomorrow, would she care?

The fact she was concerned whether he was angry at her or not proved that she cared about his opinion of her. Most of all, what could she possibly say to him? Very few knew of her origin. She had a lot to think about.

/^O^\

When the lunch period arrived, Rei had decided it was best to try to speak to Suzuhara. She left her classroom and walked down the hallway to Toji's class. Entering she did not see Toji in the room. She frowned slightly to herself, wondering where the young man was. She was certain she saw him earlier.

She spotted Shiro seated at his desk, his laptop was open and she could hear the music he enjoyed so much playing.

You don't need a penny just to hang around

But if you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down?

Over on the corner there's a happy noise

People come from all around to watch the magic boys 

She did not recognize the song, but that wasn't surprising considering most of the music Shiro liked was older than he was, three or four times in some cases. As she listened for a moment, she was pleased by the cheerfulness of the melody. She approached the gargoyle. He saw her, and greeted her warmly.

"Is this 'The Who'?" She asked. "I don't believe I've heard this song before."

Shiro smiled at her. "Nope. C.C.R.," he answered. "What's up?"

"Do you know where Suzuhara is? I would like to speak to him."

"Ah." He immediately remembered what they had discussed earlier. "You just missed him; he said he wanted to go to the roof for a little while." She nodded in thanks. "You want me to come with you?" he asked.

Rei saw the look of cautious optimism on Shiro's face. "Ei. This is between us, Shiro-kun."

"Sure. Let me know how it goes later, alright?"

"Hai."

A few minutes later, Rei found Toji on the roof of the school. She studied him for a moment, watching him as he chewed on a pastry from the cafeteria as he looked out into the city. She quietly walked up to him. "Suzuhara-kun..." she said quietly.

Toji nearly jumped out of his track suit in fright. He scrambled to keep his snack and the bottle of soda from falling on the ground and making a mess. "Don't do that," he snapped reflexively. "They teachin' you to be a ninja now?"

"Gomen nasai."

"S'okay." He waved it off. "If you're lookin' for Shiro, he's not here. I think he's still in class."

Rei shook her head slightly. "I was looking for you, Suzuhara-kun."

"Me?" Rei nodded. "What for?"

"I... I feel I need to explain myself to you." Rei saw the confused look on his face. "I feel you are upset with me for not having been tested to help your sister. I wanted to explain why."

"Oh that," he said flatly. His expression turned sour for a moment before softening. "Shinji already told me about it."

Now Rei felt confused. What could Shinji have possibly told him? "He did?"

"Yeah. He said it was some kind of order from his old man. He told me how he saved your life once. Believe me; I understand how something like that can affect you. The loyalty."

Rei remembered the attack of the Angel, Shamshel. How Shinji risked being killed trying to save Suzuhara and Aida's lives.

"So don't worry about it," Toji continued. "You at least visited Miyuki in the hospital. That's more than some of the other people I asked to help. Thanks for that."

"May I ask you a question, Suzuhara?"

"Huh? Oh, sure."

"Are we... friends?" she asked. Rei felt a blush rising up her neck at the awkward wording of the question. She had been pondering the question since that morning. She had come to the conclusion that she considered him a friend, but she was still uncertain of his thoughts on the matter. She had planned to ask the question more tactfully after she had given her explanation about not getting the blood test. Seeing that the explanation was apparently unnecessary had thrown her off-balance.

There was an awkward moment as the two stared at each other. Toji laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. "Funny, I never really thought about it. But I guess we are."

Rei smiled, the heavy feeling in her chest lifting almost instantly. "A-arigato, Toji-san."

/^O^\

At the end of the day, Asuka found herself walking along with her best friend, Hikari. She had noticed the girl's sullen look after the lunch period and made it a point to talk to her. "So what's going on with you, Hikari?"

"Huh? Oh gomen, Asuka," Hikari replied looking rather down at the moment. "I know you usually walk home with Ikari-kun."

Asuka smirked. "Don't worry about it. He forgot to make our lunch again. So as punishment, I'm denying him my company." She saw a trace of a smile quickly form, then disappear, on her friend's face. A thought suddenly came to Asuka. "Don't tell me this is about Toji?"

Hikari's faced turned pink. "Is it that obvious?" She asked.

"It's pretty easy to see." Asuka replied. She took a left at the corner heading to the nearby shopping district instead of to her apartment building. "Except for the four nitwits, especially Shinji. He's an idiot." 

"But... he's your boyfriend." Hikari was a little surprised by Asuka's mini-rant. She thought her friend had grown out of constantly insulting Shinji.

"He is." Asuka grinned. "Which makes me a bigger idiot." Hikari couldn't help but giggle.

They entered a pastry shop that had become rather popular of late. They found an empty booth and placed their orders. When their orders arrived, the two of them ate quietly. Asuka waited rather patiently for her friend to open up. Hikari told Asuka about seeing Toji and Rei talking on the roof of the school earlier in the day.

"I think Ayanami is the girl Toji likes," Hikari said quietly, picking at a large slice of cake.

"Nani?" Asuka nearly dropped her fork in shock by the statement. "Toji and Wonder-girl? I don't believe it."

"I saw them talking on the roof during lunch. I saw them both smiling at each other from our class."

Asuka shook her head. "I still don't buy it. I'm pretty sure Ayanami likes someone else."

"Honto ne?" Hikari asked, a look of relief slowly spreading over her features. "Who?"

Asuka smiled and leaned in conspiratorially. "Ken-shi-ro."

"Na-nani?!" Now Hikari was shocked and she did drop her fork. She looked around to see if anyone overheard them. Satisfied that wasn't the case, she looked to Asuka. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I'm pretty sure. It's not like I caught them making-out or anything. But, haven't you noticed the way Ayanami acts when Maza is around? I mean, she actually smiles a lot more than usual."

Hikari thought back over the last few weeks since the gargoyle began going to their school and realized it was true. "Wow."

"No kidding." Asuka ate another piece of her cheesecake, happy to see her friend coming out of her funk about Toji. This brought something to mind she had wanted to ask for a while. "Can I ask you something?

"Nani?"

"What do you see in that moron, anyway? He's not that bright and he's not the best looking guy in school."

Hikari looked away from her friend, a deep blush enveloping her face as she said the first thing that came to mind. "He likes my cooking."

Asuka gave her a look of utter disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

/^O^\

Rei sat down on the bench between the rows of lockers by the main entrance of the school. She had plans to accompany Shiro to the shopping district to pick up a re-curve bow he had ordered some time ago. She stored the text books she determined she would not need that night in her locker and turned to leave. She spotted Shiro standing by the main gate, waiting for her. She was about to open the door when she stopped short as she saw a female student approach the gargoyle. Rei recognized the girl.

Yabari Nao was the daughter of a wealthy business man. She was a tall, slender girl with long, black hair that fell to her waist. Yabari was a fairly popular girl with a number of friends, and was a member of at least two school clubs that Rei knew of.  
Curious, Rei watched quietly for a moment. Shiro turned around when Yabari called him. She could see the baffled look on Shiro's face when the girl bowed to him and presented him with an envelope. Obviously confused, he gingerly took the envelope from her. By this time, a number of other students had noticed the exchange and were standing around, watching what was going on.

"What's going on, Ayanami-san?" a girl from her class asked as she stepped up besides Rei.

"I'm not sure, Kannei-san. Yabari gave Maza-kun an envelope." Kannei's eyes widened in shock.

"Don't tell me Yabari-san is doing a confession?"

Confession?, Rei thought. She looked back to Shiro and saw the look of disbelief on his face as Yabari began speaking in a rather animated fashion. She felt her throat dry slightly and a feeling of weight focused in her chest as she watched Yabari. It was all she could do to suppress the urge to go out there.

"Wow. I didn't think anyone actually did that kind of thing." Kannei giggled a little at a thought that occurred to her. Rei caught the look Kannei had and turned to her.

"What is it, Kannei-san?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just the thought of them dating popped into my head. It's kinda cute really. A little weird, though. You know, Maza-kun not being human and all." Kannei shrugged as if it didn't really matter.

The weight in Rei's chest seemed to increase slightly at Kannei's statement. It was then that Rei realized she had closed her hand into a tight fist. Rei willed her hand opened and let out a tiny whimper at the way her hand ached.

Kannei heard the sound and turned to Rei. "What do you think of that, Ayanami-san?" Rei gave her a blank look. Kannei misinterpreted the expression as confusion. "I mean, you probably know him better than anyone since you come to school with him every day. What do you think? Human and Gargoyle dating?"

"I..."

Part of Rei wanted to tell Kannei the truth. She wanted to let people know. She did not dare. She was still worried about Comm. Ikari. Though it had been several days since he spotted them together after Shiro's first training session, Ikari had not said anything to her about the matter. She looked back to the courtyard and noticed that Shiro was no longer there. Yabari stood there looking crest-fallen and embarrassed as those around her began to go about their business once again. The feeling of tightness suddenly vanished as the emotion she now recognized as something akin to fear disappear.

"I don't have a problem with it. Excuse me." Rei pushed the door open and left before the other girl could reply. Rei walked as quickly as she could without appearing to be in a hurry. As she passed Yabari, the two girls' eyes met. She had expected to see a look of pain in her eyes, but instead she saw annoyance. Rei continued. She walked through the gate and saw Shiro at the next corner. Shinji was with him, they were both waiting for her.

As she approached, she could hear the two of them talking about what had transpired minutes earlier.

"Don't get me wrong, Shinji," Shiro said, holding the pale green envelope by the corner. "Yabari's cute and all, but something about the way she looked at me, creeped me out."

Shinji chuckled. "You're the first guy I've ever heard of to have a problem with a pretty girl liking him." Shiro growled in response.

Rei reached them. Shiro's expression seemed to brighten somewhat. "Hey," he greeted in his customary way. "Shinji's gonna join us, if you don't mind."

Shinji held the back of his head nervously. Rei never understood why people did that.

"Gomen, Ayanami. I was going in that direction too, and Shiro-san invited me along."

"I don't mind." Rei said truthfully. She had always enjoyed spending time with Shinji. He had always tried to look out for her in his own way, and she appreciated it. She trusted Shinji about as much as anyone could trust another person. She knew if she confided in him, Shinji would keep their secret. When the three of them were relatively alone on their walk, Rei reached out and took Shiro's hand.

She felt the tension in his hand, but did not let go. He gave her an 'Are you sure?' look and Rei nodded quietly. "Shinji-kun..." she said quietly.

Shinji was surprised to be called by his name. He was more surprised to see his two friends holding hands and the slightly embarrassed expression on both their faces. He blinked a couple times as his mind slowly worked through what he was seeing. "You two...?" His expression changed, from confusion to disbelief to acceptance in a span of moments. "Honto ne?" They nodded. "Huh. That actually explains a few things." 

END


	6. Training Day II

Chapter 6: Training Day II

by Ranwolf

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the "Rebuild" movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

*****

Shinji and Shiro were waiting outside of the changing room for Asuka and Rei. Shinji was leaning against the wall, humming a song as Shiro paced back and forth along the corridor. Shinji watched his friend with interest, surprised to see the apparent nervousness in the gargoyles' body language.

"You don't have to be so anxious, Shiro-kun. It's only a training session."

Shiro stopped his pacing and looked at Shinji. "Yeah well, this is gonna be the first time I'm having a session with you guys. I don't want to look like an idiot."

Shinji gave Shiro a reassuring smile. "You'll do fine. Ibuki-san said you've improved in your last few solo sessions."

"Maybe," Shiro replied doubtfully. "I still have trouble keeping the pallet rifle on target." Shiro made a sour face as he remembered his last session. "You know, I swiss-cheesed a couple office buildings last time?"

Shinji slowly nodded, Asuka had mentioned something about that last night. "You could always stick with the magnum and the Prog-Sword. You're good with those, aren't you?"

Shiro shrugged. "I need more practice I suppose."

"Practice all you want, Bat-boy," Asuka said as she exited the changing room, Rei followed close behind. "You're never going to be better than me."

Shiro bared his fangs in false menace. "I keep forgetting how humble you can be, Red."

"Don't snarl at me, Maza," she said with a smirk. "You're not that scary looking."

"Nakashima thought I did," he replied.

Asuka folded her arms defiantly. "I heard about that. Nakashima's a punk without his friends."

"You should've seen him run after Shiro showed up," said Shinji. "Funniest thing I saw all day."

"I can imagine. Did he say 'We're not finished!' or something equally lame?"

Shinji shook his head.

/'0'\

Shiro slowly opened his eyes after the nausea of taking in the LCL passed. It happened nearly every time he breathed in the fluid. However, the intensity had diminished over time as he got used to it. He figured, at this rate he wouldn't get sick by the turn of the new century.

"Daijobu, Shiro-kun?" He heard Maya's voice over the intercom of the entry-plug. "Are you still getting nauseous?"

"Ugh. Yeah, a little, not as bad as before though" Shiro replied. "Just give me a minute and I'll be fine."

Asuka's image showed up on screen to his right. "Aww, the mighty gargoyle want something for his tummy?" A semi-malicious grin formed on her face.

"Oh yeah, Some Pepto would be great right now. Mind getting it for me? And while you're at it, get a slice of humble pie when I beat another of your scores."

Asuka grinned evilly. "We'll see about that. And as my friend Mari would say: 'Not bloody likely.'"

Misato's image appeared, taking up a majority of the screen. "That's enough of that you two. As much as I enjoy a little trash talking, we got a full day today." Two more windows popped up besides Asuka's. Shinji and Rei had joined the conversation. "Okay, we are going to be working on teamwork today. Two teams of two in battle to the virtual death."

"We're fighting each other, Misato-san?" Shinji asked, obvious surprise on his face.

Misato smiled at her young roommate. "Hai. It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while. The simulations are getting a little too predictable for you. I figured, if you went after each other it would be more of a challenge. Now with Shiro joining us... Well it seemed like as good a time as any to try it out."

"So we're basically playing Evangelion team death-match?," Shiro asked, a noticeable look of satisfaction on his face. "Sweet."

Asuka made a derisive snort. "You've been playing too many of Aida's computer games."

"Jealous?"

"Of what? Kid's games?"

"We are 'Children', Souryu." Rei replied, a faint smile on her face.

"Heh. Cute, Wonder-girl." Asuka reluctantly acknowledged the pun.

"Alright. First up, boys versus girls. Then we'll try mixed teams after that. Do well and you'll get a special treat."

"What are we, trained dogs?" Asuka asked, annoyed. Shiro replied with a bark. The german girl glared at him. "You're so dead."

/'0'\

The virtual cityscape of Tokyo-3 built itself in the now familiar manner. The streets were empty as usual, nothing could be seen except for the various office buildings and weapons caches that littered the environment. In the distance the familiar mountains and green hillsides outside of the city were clearly seen. The sky was overcast, with brief breaks in the cloud cover letting shafts of sunlight shine through for a few moments. Shiro looked around and saw the well-known image of Eva-One standing a short distance away. A comm-window of Shinji appeared.

"Sugoi, Shiro-san they gave you a cool looking Eva unit."

"Hmm? Did they?" He realized he was standing next to a steel and glass skyscraper. He turned towards the building, using it as a mirror. Shiro's simulated Eva had the same body-type as Eva-Zero and Two but was black and grey in color. Looking up, he could see the head was similar to Eva-Zero but with a face similar to Eva-One's minus the single horn jutting from the forehead. He also saw that the Evangelion didn't have the shoulder fins as the others did. He was surprised however to see the hands had only three fingers. "Cool."

Ritsuko's image appeared on his screen. "Your simulated Eva is what Unit Three will look like when it's finally delivered in a few months. There had been long delays in it's and Unit-Four's construction."

"So I'm getting my own Eva?" Ritsuko nodded. "Nice! Can I name it?"

Ritsuko was taken aback at the request. She looked back over her shoulder at Lt. Aoba who was chuckling to himself, apparently getting the joke. She made face into the camera. "Do you even have a serious bone in your body?"

"Life's short, Doc. Make fun of it."

Ritsuko let out an exasperated sigh. Letting the minor annoyance drain away from her, she briefed Shiro about the differences and improvements made to the future Unit. Other than the obvious physical differences, the Prog-Blade was built into the right forearm. Shiro saw that the right arm was more heavily built than the left. Following instruction, he engaged the weapon, it shot forward from it's holster, extending two hand-length's past his fist. Shinji joked he was reminded of Full Metal Alchemist.

"Never heard of it." Shiro said.

"Really? It's pretty good. I can lend you the DVD if you want."

"Are you two done?" Ritsuko interrupted.

"Sorry."

"Gomen."

After the briefing, Misato explained the rules of engagement for the coming scenario. There were certain areas of the cityscape they could not enter, such as Sawada Park and the waterfront. The Bazooka and the Particle Accelerator Rifle were off limits. Other than that, it was anything goes.

When everyone was ready, the pilots were cleared to engage. Shinji and Shiro quickly made their way to the closest weapons cache. The building-sized locker opened, giving them access to the weapons. Shiro pulled out the Pallet Rifle. He stared at the rifle for a moment before deciding against it and handing it off to Shinji, who was better able to handle the weapon. "You want anything else?"

"I'm fine for now, domo." Shinji moved away and took up a covering position, facing the general direction he though Rei and Asuka would be coming from. He swept over the cityscape, keeping an eye and every sensor the Eva had open, looking for any sign of the two girls.

Shiro reached into the cache and retrieved the Magnum and the Prog-Sword. He reached back and fastened the blade along the small of his Units back under and Umbilical Cable. He double-checked the magnetic coupling then loaded the Magnum.

"Do you have any idea where they are, Shinji?" He asked scanning the area for movement. He was amazed how giant red and blue robots could move with near silence when they wanted to.

"I'm not sure," Shinji replied. "You'd think there would be noise or something." Shinji opened a channel to the C and C. "Misato-san, can you tell us where they are?"

"Gomen nasai, Shinji-kun. I just can't do that."

"Great," Shiro complained. "She's channeling Hal now." He moved down the street, keeping his weapon at the ready. Raised up in front of him with a two-handed grip. "Let's go. The longer we stay still the better the chance they can pick us off."

Shinji nodded to himself in agreement. He moved over to another street and the two of them began making their way to the shopping district. The had decided to go on the offensive.

Suddenly, Shinji let off a short burst, disintegrating a small office building. Shiro turned towards Shinji's line of fire but refrained from firing himself. "You see them?"

"Hai. I saw Eva-Zero. Rei was heading towards the governmental district." He ran after her.

Shiro was about to go with his partner, when he was stopped short by a sharp tug on his back. A warning screen appeared, the Umbilical Coupling was damaged and he was now running on batteries. "Fuckin' shit," he growled.

"Watch the potty-mouth, Maza." Misato admonished.

"Sorry," he replied, though he didn't really mean it.

Shinji stopped his run. "Daijobu? You need help?"

"No, I'm fine." Shiro entered a command requesting the location of the nearest Umbilical Station. Several locations highlighted on a map of the city. "Go after Rei before you lose her. Just be careful."

"Hai. You too." He turned and went off searching for Rei.

Shiro followed the recommended path to the nearest power station. He removed the damaged socket and retrieved a new one. He bent his arm awkwardly as he attempted to plug the unwieldy device in. "There's gotta be an easier way to do this," he muttered under his breath. Sporadic gunfire erupted in the distance. "Shit." He glanced at the timer for his battery power, 3:54. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking again, he realized it was a reflection coming from the building next to him. "Dammit!" He dove out of the way as the blade of the Eva-Two's Prog-Lance went through the power station. The dully glowing blade passing through the area where his Eva's head used to be.

Still kneeling, he whirled around, raising his magnum. His single shot was sent off target as the blunt end slammed into the weapon, sending it flying off and crashing into a nearby building. He jumped back as the business end swiped at him a moment later.

Shiro felt the sting across his chest as the lance sliced into his chest armor, causing minor damage.

He quickly got to his feet. Eva-Two was standing in the open, holding the lance off to the side with one arm triumphantly. Shiro could imagine the grin on Asuka's face at the moment. "Alright then." He reached back and drew his sword as Asuka changed her stance to a two-handed grip. He glanced at the battery timer, 3:42.

The two Evas charged each other. Shiro parried a thrust of the spear, countering with a swing to Eva-Two's shoulder. Asuka dodged out of the way. She brought the blunt head around, catching Eva-Three in the thigh, just above the knee.

Shiro cursed aloud. Growling to himself, he attacked again, stabbing at Eva-Two's chest. He knew Asuka had a reach advantage; his only chance was to stay on the offensive and try to keep the more experienced pilot off balance.

He altered his attack mid-swing, changing the sword's arc, he swung the blade upwards taking the spear head off. The blade-head tumbled through the air and into a large advertisement sign for a new car that Mitsubishi was introducing for the following year.

Though direct communications between the two teams were deactivated, he could hear Asuka yell insults at him through his link with C and C.

Shiro allowed himself a moment of triumph. That moment nearly did him in. Asuka took the remains of her weapon and hurled it like a javelin at him. Shiro deflected the shaft easily, batting it away. Eva-two followed close behind. Ducking low, she tackled him, sending the black Evangelion to the ground. On instinct, he swung his sword. Asuka caught his wrist, and slammed her free hand into his head. He retaliated to a punch to the ribs. The two struggled for control of the weapon.

"Gimme that," he barely heard Asuka yell over the intercom as her Eva managed to gain control of the Prog-Sword. She raised the sword over her head, blade down.

Desperate, he bucked his hips as he pulled on her right leg, throwing her off balance enough to push her off of him. He scrambled to his feet. He saw Eva-Two still had his sword in it's hand. He lashed out and kicked the sword out of Asuka's hand.

The two Evas glared at each other . The red behemoth charged. Asuka right leg flashed out as she kicked at his head. Shiro brought up his arms, blocking the attack. She jabbed at him, catching him in the shoulder. He countered with his own punch, striking the red Eva in the side of the head. The two of them traded blows, blocked and parry. Each gaining and losing ground at any given moment.

"Better hurry Shiro-kun." He heard Misato warn. "You have just over a minute and a half of battery power left."

"Tell me something I don't know," he grunted as he was tossed into a building, pulverizing the structure to rubble and dust. He rose up and stared Eva-two down. "Major, what's the percentage of the neural feedback?"

"Just ten percent. We don't want you guys hurting each other. Why?"

He didn't answer the question. Misato's response to his question confirmed his theory. When Asuka slashed his chest with her lance, or anytime he was hit, he barely felt the impact. He knew for certain he could fight all out without worry of seriously hurting his friend. He made a "C'mon!" gesture with both hands at the red Eva.

Eva-Two rushed him. Asuka punched him in the chest. Which was exactly what Shiro wanted. He closed in on the red mecha, ducked under a left hook, and grabbed her around the waist. He felt Eva-Two's elbows slamming into his back near the Entry-plug's port. Ignoring the strikes, he pulled the both of them over his center of gravity, and heaved Eva-Two onto his shoulder. He could hear Asuka screaming at him to put her down.

That's exactly what he did. Pulling her legs, he took a short running start and slammed the Second Child into the remains of an office building. He didn't give the girl a chance to react, he shifted his position, activated the Prog-Blade in his arm and slammed it into Eva-Two's throat, nearly severing the red giant's head.

"Sorry, Asuka."

When he was satisfied Eva-Two was down, he got up and headed towards the nearest undamaged Umbilical Station. He glanced at the battery timer. 0:34. If he was lucky he had enough time to get there and plug in before his battery went dead. He quickly found his Magnum and retrieved it. Moving east he called Shinji to find out how he was doing. "Shinji, I took out Asuka. She's gotta be pissed. Where are you?" He reached the station with just over 16 seconds to spare. Shinji hadn't answered yet. "Shinji? Where are you?"

Suddenly his screen went completely red. "Hey! What the hell? What's going on?"

"Gomen, Shiro-kun," Misato's image appeared on screen. "You're dead."

"What?" To say he was surprised was a understatement. "How?"

"Well..." Misato had an amused look on her face as she spoke. "Rei got you with a head shot from eight miles out."

"Say what?!" Shiro was dumbfounded. "Eight miles? Are you shitting me?"

"It's true," Misato replied. She turned to someone out of camera range. "Aoi, pull up the overhead feed please."

"Hai, Major."

A moment later, a bird's eye view of the battlefield appeared on his screen. He could easily make out his Eva moving towards the power building. He could also see Eva-Two a distance away, laying on the ground. The image zoomed in. Eva-Three had just reached the station and grabbed one of the Umbilical cables when the black mech's head suddenly exploded. The remains dropping to the ground like a de-stringed puppet, the power cable still in it's hand.

"Jeezus!"

Rei's image appeared on his screen. Her face neutral in it's expression. "Gomen nasai, Shiro-kun."

Shiro stared at Rei in awe. "Eight miles? Really?" Rei gave a small shrug.

Asuka's and Shinji's image appeared next to Rei. "It's the least you deserve, Maza!" Asuka said, obviously upset. "You stabbed me in the neck, you jerk!"

"Didn't you try to turn my head into a ka-bob?"?"

"That's beside the point." She took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. She turned her attention to Shinji. "How'd you bite it?"

"Um..." Shinji face reddened slightly. "It's kind of embarrassing, really."

"Don't tell me," Asuka interrupted. "You tripped and shot yourself."

"Nothing like that." Shinji snapped.

"Then how?"

"Well, I was running after Ayanami, I turned west to try to cut her off. And she was waiting for me."

"Waiting for you?" Shiro asked. "What are you talking about?" He looked to Rei, hoping to get a clue from her. He saw the faintest trace of pride on the girl's face.

Shinji sighed. "I turned the corner, and she was waiting with a sniper rifle. She shot me in the chest at point blank range." Shiro winced, as Asuka laughed.

"Ah, c'mon, man!" Shiro said in disbelief.

"It's not that funny, Asuka!" Shinji protested. The German girl continued to giggle throughout the debriefing, her defeat having temporarily been forgotten.

They continued their training for the next couple of hours, with different teams each round. Asuka made it a point to target Shiro whenever they were on opposing teams, determined to exact a measure of vengeance. She was semi-successful in her self-imposed mission. There were times she was denied, as Shiro was sometimes "killed" by one of the others, usually being shot to pieces. Everyone soon realized his hand-to-hand skill was generally better. Asuka was the only one who could hold her own in close combat.

"I can honestly say," Misato began at the end of the day. "I am impressed. The only bad news is you four leveled the city in the last scenario. You got to work on your situational awareness. Buildings aren't as easy to rebuild as clicking a few options on a computer screen." Misato smiled. "Shiro-kun, you did really well today. Better than I expected, frankly. But you still need practice with the rifle."

Shiro made a sour face. "Still can't believe I missed Shinji that time. He didn't even see me."

"You?" Shinji replied. "I still can't believe it."

"I'm sticking to the magnum."

"You do that, Shiro," Asuka grinned. "Makes it easier for 'Annie Oakley' to take you out."

Rei made a confused expression. "Who is Annie Oakley?"

"She was a sharpshooter from the nineteenth century." Misato answered. "She was famous for hitting targets while aiming with a mirror."

"Well," Misato began. "As promised, I have a treat for you guys."

"You taking us out for pizza?" Shinji asked. He had a craving for a slice seen yesterday. "I haven't had any in a while."

"Sounds good." Asuka answered, liking the idea.

"I could go for a slice or two." Shiro added.

Misato sweat dropped. "Ehh... That's not what I was thinking." She saw the crest-fallen looks on three of the four pilots. Rei looked indifferent. Has she even tried pizza before?, Misato thought to herself. Misato let out a sigh. "Fine. We'll go after we're done." She almost laughed out loud at the emotional 180. Teenagers. She turned to Maya, she saw the young lieutenant struggling to keep from giggling at her superior. "Don't laugh, Maya-san. You're coming with us and paying for half."

Maya was caught by surprise. "H-hai." She wasn't sure if this counted as an invitation.

"So what are we doing?" Shiro asked. "A free-for-all?"

"Ha! You wish," Misato replied. "You all will be acting as a team this time around." She turned to Maya once again. "Activate scenerio 'G'."

"Hai." She began calling up menus on her screen.

All around them, the ruined virtual city rebuilt itself, and the four pilots found themselves at the eastern edge of the city. The submerged remains of several buildings could be seen scattered within the artificial bay.

"Okay," Asuka began, looking around. She was trying to guess what Misato had in stored for them. If she remembered correctly the first Angel Shinji fought, Sachiel, entered the city from the bay. If she was to hazard a guess, Asuka thought it was going to be something similar. Perhaps multiple Sachiels?

"There!" Shinji cried out, his Eva pointing towards a single indistinct shape that swam towards them underwater.

"Get ready," Rei said, raising her sniper rifle.

"Whatever it is, it's big." Asuka said.

The shape stopped its advance a short distance away. The sea water began to froth and boil as the massive, scaly bulk of their target rose up from the depths. Water cascaded down its body, as amber colored eyes glared at them in disdain. Bestial lips parted slightly, as a low growl erupted from its throat.

"Misato-san, is that...?" Shinji asked in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" said Asuka.

Rei saw the bewildered looks on her teammates' faces. Obviously, they were somehow familiar with a creature that was at least a third larger than an Eva-Unit. The creature's long, thick tail slashed back and forth violently, destroying any abandoned building that got in its way. "What is it?"

"You don't know?" Shiro asked, surprised.

"Rei," Misato said, an odd grin on her face as she was enjoying the befuddled looks of her charges. "I'd like you to meet a childhood friend of mine. The King of All Monsters..."

The nuclear-powered dinosaur roared as the massive spines running down it's back ignited with electrical blue light.

"We are so fucked."

END


	7. Yesterday Part 1

Chaos Element: Book One

Chapter 7: Yesterday Part 1

Disney/Buena Vista Studios own the concept of Gargoyles. Neon Genesis Evangelion and related characters are the property of Gainax Studios. They are used without the knowledge and/or consent of the rightful owners. The character of Kenshiro Maza is the property of the author.

Author's note: This story will in no way be canon. It will borrow elements from the original anime and manga, as well as the Rebuild movies. All of which are different from each other to begin with.

The fog bank lifted for what seemed the hundredth time, dispersing around them quickly. The mists of Avalon depositing its two passengers in yet another surrounding neither one recognized. They were within a large lake or a harbor of some kind surrounded by a forest of oak and pine trees. In the distance, a battleship stood lonely vigil over the waterway, a silent sentinel at dawn.

"Where are we?" Miya asked. "Does any of this look familiar to you?"

"Nuh-uh," Nic replied guiding the skiff towards shore. "We could be in Egypt. Check out the pyramid." Miyabe followed Nic's hand, pointing towards a massive black pyramid that was at least fifty stories tall. All the sides looked to be as smooth as glass, reflecting the light from the odd multicolored sky.

"Somehow, I doubt that," she said from her seat staring up at the purplish-blue sky. Nic looked up for a few moments, staring intently. Miya knew Nic was studying the sky with the other modes of vision his implants allowed him to see with. She shivered slightly remembering the story of the Hyena from his reality, which had blinded him when he was a child.

"I don't know if we're in Egypt or not. But that's not the sky."

"What do you mean?"

"We're in some kind of cavern. There's an elaborate lighting system up there. Full Spectrum." He glanced up at the cavern ceiling again. "Prisms or mirrors of some kind seem to be reflecting the light into crystal stalactites... That might explain the weird colors."

Pausing momentarily to hide his tail and don his gloves, Nic poled the boat towards the shore of what they know realized to be an underground lake. Upon arrival, he jumped out, easily pulling the boat onto secure ground. He helped Miya out and they quickly walked off in search of information, hoping they could find some indication they were in their world.

They stayed hidden, using the groves of trees and bushes. After what seemed like hours of sneaking and hiding, they reached the base of the huge pyramid. "Central Dogma, Entrance 14 beta," Miyabe whispered, reading the sign besides the garage style door leading into the pyramid. "Should we go in?"

Nic shook his head. "No, we have no idea why Avalon sent us here yet. I don't want us stumbling into anything we can't handle." He glanced down at the gravity bow Miya carried with her. A _souvenir_ from one of the previous worlds they visited.

Miya caught the glance, but didn't say anything. Nic had been acting much more protective of her since she received the bow. She knew he didn't like her using it, because it gave her a means to be more involved in the fighting that they occasionally found themselves in, even though she was usually at a great distant from the actual fighting. "Then what are we going to do?" she asked. "We can't stay out here forever."

Just then, a green light above the door activated. Nic noticed. He grabbed Miya and hid along a small depression between the large sliding door and the wall. A blue two-door sports car cruised out, a woman perhaps his age drove. "I don't think she saw us." The door to the pyramid began to close once again. Nic had only a few moments to decide what to do. "Aw hell..." he cursed, "Let's go!" The two of them dashed under the huge steel door.

"Where to?" Nic asked as they moved quietly between cars or against the wall of the massive parking area. Miya shrugged, having no idea where to go. She realized, with sudden dread, that such a place would have tight security. How was it they were able to get this far in? She heard a commotion coming from behind her. They both looked.

"Fuck!"

"There they are!" one of the dozen or so security guards yelled. Another door at the other end of the parking area opened, letting another squad of security in.

Without thinking, Miya already had let loose one of the "Riot Arrows". Though the arrowhead was a soft sponge-like material, the gravity bow accelerated the arrow to the speed equal to a .40 caliber slug. The arrow slammed into the chest of a guard with enough force to knock the large man off his feet and unconscious. The arrow clattered to the floor, the head slowly changing back from the mushroom shape the impact deformed it into. Miya was about to shoot another when her arm went numb. Her vision blurred and she collapsed to the ground. She heard Nic scream her name, followed by an inhuman roar. Then everything went dark.

When Miya woke she realized she was in a small bare room, with only a chair, the cot she was laying on (she doubted it belonged in the room) and a video camera mounted in a corner. She got up from the cot and crossed the room to the door. She pushed on it with no luck. Locked.

"Onamae wa nandeska?(What is your name?)," she heard a voice ask from nowhere.

Miya jumped, startled. "Nani?(What?)," she squeaked.

"Onamae wa nandeska?," the voice, a woman's voice, asked again.

"Wa-watashi wa Tendo Miyabe des, (M-my name is Miyabe Tendo)," she answered, feeling silly talking out loud with no one else in the room with her. "Where am I?"

"You don't know?" The woman sounded suspicious.

Miya turned to the camera in the corner. "Ie. Somewhere in Japan. That's about it. Where's Nic?"

"Your... companion is being detained. Please answer my questions."

"Let me see Nic."

"In due time," the woman said. "Sit down, please." It was not a request. Miyabe stood where she was stubbornly with her arms folded across her chest. "Tendo-san, take your seat," more forcefully this time.

Miya muttered a curse as she reluctantly sat down. "Who are you people? Where am I? And where's Nic?" Even to her, her voice sounded strained. Where had they taken Nic? How had they taken him prisoner? Was he hurt? But mostly, she was worried, what would happen if these people found out about his unique heritage, which they most likely have by now

"Why do you insist in claiming not to know where you are?"

"Because I don't!," Miya snapped. She let out a sigh, chastising herself for losing her temper. "Look. We didn't mean any harm. We... we got lost and were just trying to figure a way out."

"You honestly think I'd believe that, Tendo-san?"

"It's the truth."

"Souka. Then would you care to explain this?" The wall in front of Miya split open, revealing a monitor. She gasped at the picture. It was Nic, pacing back and forth like a caged animal in a room similar to hers. His tail was out slashing back and forth angrily. "What is he?," the woman asked. "Our tests show he isn't an Angel."

"Angel?" Miya repeated the word. "What do Angels have to do with this?"

"This again? Your games aren't helping anyone, Tendo-san. Not answering my questions may have serious consequences for the both of you."

The woman broke off. Miya could hear arguing, but couldn't make out what was being said, but she could guess the subject. A moment later someone else was speaking to her. Another woman.

"Sumimasen, Tendo-san," the second voice said. She sounded calmer than the other, younger as well. "I am Major Katsuragi. I'll make you a deal, if you answer our questions, we'll answer some of yours. Alright?"

Miyabe hesitated, she trusted these people about as far as she could throw a tank. But if she wanted any chance of seeing Nic, she had to cooperate. "Alright, but you'll probably won't like the answers."

"Can you tell us... what your friend is?"

"**_Nic_**," Maya stressed the name, "is a gargoyle. At least, his father is. His mother is human."

The interrogation went on from there. Miya explained her situation, traveling from world to world. The other woman, Dr. Akagi, had obvious doubts, but a security camera had captured the mystical fog forming over the underground lake and the sudden appearance of the skiff near the battleship. Afterward, the commander of the base had granted Miya permission to be reunited with Nic. Maj. Katsuragi escorted Miya to the Maximum Security section of the brig, which was in a different area of the base. While they walked, Maj. Katsuragi relayed a summation of the previous fifteen year.

The Major explained that First Impact happened at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, when a meteor the size of Kyoto slammed into the Earth 65 million years ago. Second Impact happened on Sept.30, 2000 when the first Angel, code-named Adam by the U.N. self-destructed in Antarctica. The heat and energy released by the explosion melted all of the ice around the South Pole, causing the sea level to rise by as much as thirty meters and shifted the Earth's axis. The dramatic changes to the planet's weather patterns and the wars over resources that soon followed resulted in the deaths of approximately half the population of the planet. It was believed Third Impact would be the result if any of the Angels came in contact with Adam's remains.

"That's...," Miya began, but faltered. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Miya thought she had seen the most insane things the multi-verse had to offer, but this...

"I know. Crazy, huh?" Misato said. The Major pressed the call button of the elevator they reached. Moments later the doors opened. Inside, a man with a short pony-tail and a 3 o'clock shadow looked up from a file he was reading and smiled broadly when he spotted the two women.

"Ah, Katsuragi." He greeted the Major with slight wave of his hand. "I was just on my way to try to talk to our rather imposing visitor. Where are you off to?"

Misato narrowed her eyes dangerously at the man. "We're headed there as well," she all but growled. "We'll take the next elevator." Miya gave Misato a look.

"The hell we are," Miya muttered as she stepped onto the elevator.

"Chotto, Tendo-san!" Misato protested. She jumped into the elevator just before the doors closed on her.

"Ah, Tendo-san, is it?" The man smiled slightly at Miya. The man seemed to have a natural knack for irritating the Major judging by the swollen vein on the woman's forehead as she glared daggers at the man. "You're the young woman that arrived with the…" He looked at his file again. "Gargoyle?"

Misato seemed more surprised by the question than Miya was. "How did you know about that, Kaji?" She made a move to snatch the file in the man's hand. He deftly dodged the attempted snatching. "Oi! Gimme that file!"

"Gomen, Katsuragi. Can't do that yet. It isn't complete." He gave the Major another smile that reminded Miya of Han Solo for some reason. It seemed to annoy Misato all the more. He turned to Miya. "Would you mind answering a few questions for this report, Tendo-san? You'd really be helping me out."

"Um, I suppose."

"Are there many gargoyles where you're from?"

Miya thought over the question for a few moments, tallying the gargoyles she had met and the ones she's heard of. "There's less than two dozen gargoyles in New York as far as I know. I heard there are some in England and South America. And we had visited a clan in Japan before we started universe hopping."

"There are Gargoyles in Japan?" Kaji asked.

Miya smiled. "My Japan, I doubt there are any in this Japan."

"Why's that?" Misato asked

"Well, Nic and I have been in a dozen worlds or so, and they've all been pretty different from each other. The closest to ours we've been too was a 1980-era Earth where we managed to keep John Lennon from being murdered." Miya smiled, she was rather proud of that one, managing to pin the would-be assassin to the building with an arrow.

"You saved John Lennon's life?" Misato asked. "Please tell me you at least got an autograph." Miya grinned.

Miya answered a few more of Kaji's questions about the gargoyles. They exited the elevator and continued on to the brig. The guards there had already been ordered by Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki to release the prisoner.

Miya entered the room first, unsure how Nic would react if anyone else entered. He rushed to Miya, hugging her tightly. "You alright? Did they hurt you? When you were hit with that trank dart, I almost lost it." He looked up from Miya's face when he sensed others entering the room. He frowned.

"I'm fine, Nic. Nothing an aspirin can't cure." She heard Misato and Kaji entered the room. "Nic, This is Maj. Katsuragi and Kaji-san. They work in this base. Believe it or not, they're the good guys."

"It's nice to meet you, Maza-san," The woman said, apprehension was clear in her voice. "Though I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah, having a break-in can put anyone on edge," Nic replied. "So what happens now? I doubt you're just going to let us go."

"That's up to Comm. Ikari." Kaji said, trying to sound cheerful. "He's a rather severe individual, but he isn't completely unreasonable. He'll probably try to make some kind of arrangement with you for your release."

"Doesn't sound too bad." Miya said optimistically.

"Depends on what he wants," Nic replied.

"Well before anything, Ritsuko is requesting a full medical checkup on both of you."

"Who?" Nic asked, suddenly weary. His clan has had bad experiences with medical science in the past.

"Dr. Akagi," Misato answered. "She's the head of our Science Division. You spoke to her before, Tendo-san."

"Why's that?" Miya asked. "We're fine."

"Anou," Kaji looked apologetic, "apparently Rit-chan got it in her head you two might have picked up a bug or something from your travels. She doesn't want to risk some kind of crazy outbreak."

Misato stared at Kaji as if hearing this for the first time. "She couldn't have warned me before I started walking around with Tendo-san?" Misato made a start, realizing what she had said. She looked at the other-worldly couple. "I... That is..." She glared at Kaji, as if blaming him.

Miya laughed lightly at the Major and her sudden discomfort. Not for the first time she had the impression that she and Kaji were once in a relationship. "That's actually a pretty good idea. No telling what we picked up along the way. Especially, in the world before last."

Nic visibly shivered at the thought. "Don't remind me. I think I'm gonna have nightmares the rest of my life because of that."

"That bad, Maza-san?" Kaji asked.

Nic looked Kaji in the eyes. "Zombies. They creep me out, man."


End file.
